Updated October 18th, 2019 at 19:00 IST

Virat Kohli says next year's ICC World T20 is a ''big focus''

Virat Kohli has said that next year's ICC World T20 in Australia is a big focus for him and the Indian team. India will be hoping to end their ICC title drought

Reported by: Karthik Nair
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Virat Kohli is currently leading India in the ongoing Test series against South Africa. Having already wrapped up the series comprehensively, India would be eyeing a clean sweep and also add 40 precious points in the ICC World Test Championship table. Virat Kohli & Co. have been the top-ranked Test side for the last three years and are currently undisputed at the World Test Championship rankings with 200 points in their tally. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has also gone on to talk about next year's ICC World T20 in Australia and is looking at it as a big focus.

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WT20 is a big focus for Kohli

With exactly one year to go for the seventh edition of ICC World T20, Indian skipper Virat Kohli seems to be getting his team's preparations sorted for the biggest event in the game's shortest format.

"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is a big focus for us, and it's important that we use the next 12 months to place ourselves in the best possible position to compete for another major ICC trophy," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Kohli as saying.

"Our players will be really motivated to take their opportunities when they get selected for T20I matches to put themselves forward for the T20 World Cup, as we want to have a settled team combination by the time we get to Australia," Kohli said. "India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 when the format was new and the future a bit unknown. Since then, T20 cricket has truly come of age and it would be an honor to be the second Indian captain to lift the T20 World Cup trophy, and hopefully the third if the Indian women can win it earlier in 2020. I hope to see more of that when we come back to Australia next year," he added.

Virat Kohli has led India in two ICC events ever since he took ever the captaincy reigns from MS Dhoni across all formats in 2017. He had captained India to the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy that year where they lost to arch-rivals Pakistan. Earlier this year, India were knocked out of the World Cup by New Zealand after suffering a heartbreaking 18-run defeat in the semi-final. India had won the inaugural edition of the ICC World T20 in 2007 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The Men In Blue finished as the runners-up in 2014 and semi-finalists in 2016 under Dhoni.

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Sourav Ganguly on Virat Kohli 

Sourav Ganguly, who has been elected as the BCCI President had earlier expected Virat Kohli of reversing the trend of losing the crucial knock-out matches in ICC tournaments and win a major title.

"India's performance is satisfactory. I think it is a very good side. My only concern is that they need to win big tournaments. I'm not saying they are going to win every time. It is not possible," Ganguly told reporters after the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) facilitated him for filing BCCI president post nomination.

"But they have gone through seven big tournaments without winning one, they are a much better side than that. That is the only area where they need to get themselves ready mentally," he added.

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(With ANI Inputs) 

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Published October 18th, 2019 at 18:22 IST