Kohli even said speculation that IPL performance can change players’ World Cup chances are “very, very radical analysis”.
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli speaks at a press conference. (Photo: AFP)
Indian skipper Virat Kohli feels Indian Premier League (IPL 2019) performance will not “influence” in Men-in-Blue’s team selection for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019, which will be held in England and Wales. Kohli even said speculation that IPL performance can change players’ World Cup chances are “very, very radical analysis”.
BCCI selectors have already locked 12 or 13 slots for the upcoming world tournament and they will be zeroing in on their last couple of slots in the upcoming five-match ODI series between India and Australia.
“No, I don’t see the IPL having any influence on World Cup selection. I think that will be very, very radical sort of analysis,” Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI here.
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There were speculations that the upcoming season of IPL could be a possible shoot-out between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, however, the Indian captain has made it clear that one good IPL won’t make much of a difference for any World Cup hopeful.
“We need to have a solid team. Before we head into the IPL, we need to be absolutely clear of what team we want for the World Cup. I don’t see anything changing on how the IPL goes for any of the players,” Kohli said, before adding, “If one or two players do not have a good IPL season, it doesn’t mean that they are out of the picture for the World Cup. Those things are not going to matter.”
Virat Kohli also seemed eager to give young wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant a few more chances ahead of the World Cup but certainly not at the cost of playing a bowler less.
“We will have to think about the combinations. I don’t think playing a bowler less is a good idea because with the extra fielder in till the 40th over, it becomes very difficult to sort of get a few guys to chip in with a few overs here and there,” Kohli, who has 39 ODI centuries to his name, said.
“We will have to work out the batting combination to try and give game-time to the guys we want to. But, I don’t see the bowling combination changing,” Kohli added.
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