India captain Virat Kohli had a clear message for all his World Cup bound teammates – don't pick up bad (technical) habits during IPL and manage workload carefully, taking games off whenever necessary during the cash-rich league, starting 23 March.
Kohli, who has developed a tunnel vision as far as the World Cup is concerned, doesn't want the India stars plying their trade for various franchises, to drift too much from their ODI game plan during the seven-week league that ends on 12 May.
India play their opening World Cup game against South Africa on 5 June in Southampton, exactly 23 days after IPL ends. "They have to make sure that their games don't go (drift) too much away from the one-day mould of things. That means we will have to be very wary of the bad habits that might creep in during the IPL," Kohli told reporters ahead of their first T20I against Australia.
The national team's interest has always been paramount for Kohli and accordingly, he also wants his teammates to make that effort during IPL.
"That (not picking up bad habit) will take a consistent effort from all the players during the IPL to keep a check on that. The moment you enter the nets and create bad habits, you lose the momentum and you lose batting form. It is very difficult to get it back in a tournament like the World Cup," Kohli warned his teammates about the innovative shots that are in vogue during the league.
The BCCI is yet to reach a common ground with the franchises on the workload management of the IPL bound players but Indian captain wants his men to be "responsible" and not over-exert themselves.
"If your team is in a great position during the tournament, you don't mind taking 2-3 games off also. It all depends on how you feel physically but everyone has to be really honest about it to themselves and accordingly see how they feel and not push themselves to the limit that might hamper the Indian team later on," Kohli made it clear as to what he wants from teammates.
‘Would’ve Been Logical to Play More ODIs Before WC’
Kohli also said that it would have been "more logical" if his team could have played a couple of more ODIs instead of the two T20 Internationals as a part of their World Cup preparations.
India are playing two T20 Internationals and five ODIs against Australia in what will be their last international assignment before the opening World Cup fixture.
“Probably, a couple of more ODIs would have been more beneficial for both the teams not just us. It would have been more ideal and logical.”Virat Kohli
Even though it's a T20 game, Kohli would like to treat these shortest format games also an extended preparation for the World Cup.
"But look we have to utilise what's in front of us as best as possible. And as I said we're going to look to get into the right kind of frame of mind as a team," the skipper added.
The core team for the World Cup is set but skipper didn't rule out an exceptional performer getting a look in.
"We're more or less sorted. But through the course of the series you might see something which might surprise you as a team and which you might want to change immediately. But those are things that are upon how circumstances come in front of you," he said.
"As of now, we feel pretty balanced as a side and I don't see any concerns or areas that we need to think about anymore. Everything is more or less sorted," world's No 1 batsman sounded quite assured.
The skipper didn't reveal whether leg-spinner Mayank Markande will be given preference over regular wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal and Krunal Pandya have been the two specialist spinners in the T20 format.
"Look, he (Markande) has been given an opportunity because he's done well. It's purely giving a youngster a chance, who has done well over the last couple of seasons and bowled well in the IPL and T20 cricket." The Indian captain marked Marcus Stoinis as the most dangerous player in the Aussie set-up. Stoinis is set to play in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Kohli termed Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as a threat for the upcoming series. Stoinis scored 533 at 53.30 with a strike rate of 130.63 for his franchise Melbourne Stars in the BBL.
"If I had to single out one player that can make more impact, that would be Stoinis. He has come around really well during the BBL and he's making stand out performances. You can see he's grown in confidence and he's definitely going to be a very important player for them."
"A few of the guys have done really well in the BBL. But from the last time that we played, the games were close contests, both of them. One was washed out, but the other two were really exciting games. We obviously expect a stiff competition overall from the Australian team," he signed off.
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