Mumbai: Cricket fans should expect a run bonanza at the ICC World Cup in England and Wales starting this month, India captain Virat Kohli said on Tuesday.
Ahead of India’s departure for the tournament, Kohli said local seaming conditions would likely favour batsmen.
“In ICC tournaments the pitches are going to be very good and it’s summer in the UK. We expect high-scoring games,” Kohli said.
Kohli insisted, however, that World Cup pressure will bring down the totals.
“A bilateral series compared to a World Cup is very different, so you might see lot of 260-270 kind of games and teams successfully defending it because of the pressure factor,” said the skipper of India — one the favourites alongside England and Australia.
Two-time winners India, who start against South Africa in Southampton on June 5, feel they have a strong chance with a potent pace bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah.
“We go into the World Cup feeling very balanced and a strong side. You saw in the IPL (T20 series) , all the players that are in the squad are in great form and playing really well,” said Kohli.
The 10-team World Cup returns to a round-robin format and Kohli said consistency was the only way to make the semi-finals.
“Everyone has to be at their best game intensity from the first match onwards and you don’t have any room for complacency,” he said.
‘Kuldeep & Chahal pillars of our attack’
Not overtly worried about Kuldep Yadav’s lack of from during the IPL, Kohli said the Chinaman bowler and Yuzvendra Chahal are “pillars” of India’s bowling attack.
“In hindsight, if you look at it, someone like Kuldeep who has had so much success, it is important to see a period where things don’t go your way. We are glad that it happened in the IPL rather than during the World Cup,” Kohli said, firmly backing the spinner.
“So he had time to reflect and correct things and come into World Cup even stronger. We know the kind of skill set he possesses alongside (Yuzvendra) Chahal.”
