For Virat Kohli, there are no 'big teams' when you fighting for glory at the grandest stage of them all - the ICC World Cup. Kohli has featured in every single World Cup since the 2011 edition of the showpiece event. The 34-year-old has only been a part of the title-winning side just once. A young Kohli tasted World Cup success in the 2011 edition of the ICC event when MS Dhoni and Co. outclassed Sri Lanka to secure India’s second world title in the 50-over format.
Succeeding legendary Dhoni as India’s captain, Kohli guided the Men In Blue to the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup in 2019. In his fourth 50-over World Cup, the Indian run machine is tasked to end India's ICC trophy drought. The Men In Blue have not won an ICC title since 2013. With Rohit Sharma at the helm, the Kohli-starrer Team India has recorded three wins in the round-robin phase of the ICC World Cup.
The two-time champions have defeated the likes of Australia, Afghanistan and arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing edition of the ICC World Cup. The World Cup hosts will next face Bangladesh in match No. 17 of the ODI spectacle. India last recorded a defeat against Bangladesh in the 2007 edition of the ICC World Cup. Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the World Cup fixture, batting icon Kohli lauded veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
'He's got amazing control'
"Over the years, I've played a lot against him (Shakib). He's got amazing control. He's a very experienced bowler. He bowls very well with the new ball, knows how to deceive the batsman, and is also very economical," Kohli said. The seasoned campaigner of the Bangladesh side had also showered praise on Kohli in the build-up to the World Cup fixture. Bangladesh captain Shakib hailed Kohli as the best batter in the modern era.
'There are no big teams in the World Cup'
{{/usCountry}}"Over the years, I've played a lot against him (Shakib). He's got amazing control. He's a very experienced bowler. He bowls very well with the new ball, knows how to deceive the batsman, and is also very economical," Kohli said. The seasoned campaigner of the Bangladesh side had also showered praise on Kohli in the build-up to the World Cup fixture. Bangladesh captain Shakib hailed Kohli as the best batter in the modern era.
'There are no big teams in the World Cup'
{{/usCountry}}"You have to play your best against all these bowlers, and if you aren't able to, these bowlers are able to create pressure and increase the chances of getting you out," Kohli added. Kohli also shared his views about teams punching above their weight and creating major upsets in the India World Cup. While Afghanistan stunned defending champions England, the Netherlands recorded a famous win over South Africa at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup on Tuesday. "There are no big teams in the World Cup. Whenever you start focusing only on bigger teams, an upset happens," said Kohli, who is the fastest batter to score 13,000 runs in the 50-over format.