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Cricket Players'Kohli trying to distract himself with such statements': Ex Pakistan bowler says India captain is 'feeling the pressure'
The former bowler believes that Kohli is trying to “distract” himself from pressure with his statements.
Former Pakistan cricketer Sohail Tanvir said that Indian captain Virat Kohli will be under pressure ahead of the game against Pakistan, even as the skipper said in the pre-match press conference that it won't be different from any other match.
India will take on the Babar Azam-led Pakistan side in their opening game of the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
"It's a big match. India vs Pakistan is always a high-voltage game which adds to the hype of the tournament. There's definitely pressure on the players, whether they admit it or not -- both, as an individual and as a team," Sohail Tanvir said on Geo TV.
"There's a burden of expectations and India, on paper, are a better team and so they will have that added pressure. Virat Kohli, with his statements in the press conference, is trying to distract himself from that pressure but he must be feeling it nonetheless."
On Saturday, Kohli had said that the team's mindset and preparations "are no different," and that the approach remains the same as any other game.
"For me, it's never been different to any other game of cricket that we play. Yes, the atmosphere in the stadium is different but our mindset is no different, our preparations are no different, and our approach to the game is certainly no different," the Indian captain had said.
The Indian captain also reiterated that the side's unbeaten record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups counts for nothing, insisting that such things only add to the pressure of the game.
"We never discussed it within the team — what our record is, or what we achieved in the past. They distract you. What matters is how you prepare and how you perform on that given day regardless of opposition. These things are added pressure," said Kohli.
