WTC Final: NZ captain gives insights on Virat Kohli rivalry and 'Clash' with India

India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns with each other in the high-octane World Test Championship Final on June 18. While the Indian team is currently serving the mandatory quarantine in Southampton, the Kiwis are in the middle of a two-match Test series against England. With the all-important WTC Final 2021 fast approaching, both sides are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations.

Kane Williamson opens up on rivalry with counterpart Virat Kohli ahead of IND vs NZ WTC Final

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was recently involved in an interview with ICC where he spoke about a plethora of things surrounding the WTC Final 2021. During the chat, Kane Williamson opened up on his rivalry with Indian captain Virat Kohli who he has been playing against since the Under-19 days. Williamson was asked, "Your opposition captain Virat has always had a bit of chat about you and him. You’ve obviously played against each other in the u-19s and you have captained against each other many times. How much do you guys look forward to that conspicuous rivalry on the big stage?"

Responding to the question, Williamson said that Kohli is a tough person. He added that over the years, they have played against each other at so many different levels and competitions and have known each other fairly well. As a result, the Blackcaps captain reckoned that it will be quite cool walking out there, doing the toss and having a bit of contact in the first WTC final.

Kane Williamson lauds Indian bowling attack

Kane Williamson also shared his views about the Indian bowling attack which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Terming the Indian bowling attack as 'fantastic', Williamson said that the Indian team is obviously a brilliant side. He added that in the last few years, as well as, in Australia recently, the world has seen the depth India bowling has. Williamson opined that India have a lot of strength in their fast bowling and spin department. According to him, India's spot at the top in ICC rankings is fair enough and an exciting opportunity for them to be involved in the final taking on the best.

After the IND vs NZ WTC Final, Virat Kohli's men will take on England in a 5-match Test series. The series will begin at Nottingham (Aug 4-8) and will be followed by matches at Lord's (August 12-16), Leeds (Aug 25-29), Oval (Sep 2-6), and Manchester (Sep 10-14). 

WTC Final schedule

As per the WTC Final schedule, the WTC Final date is June 18 and the game will be played till June 22. However, a Reserve Day (June 23) has been set to ensure five full days of play. The Reserve Day will only be used if lost playing time cannot be recovered through the normal provisions of making up lost time each day. Notably, there will be no additional day’s play if a positive result is not achieved after five full days of play and the match will be declared a draw in such a scenario.

India squad for WTC Final

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha.

SOURCE: ICC-CRICKET.COM