T20 World Cup – Kohli on Dhoni Mentor Role: Virat Kohli declares, ‘Experienced Dhoni as mentor will boost morale’- India will start this World Cup powered by the presence of MS Dhoni in the Indian Dressing Room. And according to captain Virat Kohli i.e the big plus for India & keep them ahead of rest of the pack. Follow T20 World Cup live updates on InsideSport.in
India will open its campaign in the upcoming T20 World Cup against Pakistan on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium.
T20 World Cup LIVE: Virat Kohli absolutely delighted with Dhoni by his side, ‘Mahi as mentor big plus for India’
Kohli on Dhoni Mentor Role: When asked why it is so special to have Dhoni by his corner? This is what Virat was to say –
“Massive experience. He is quite excited about getting back in this environment. He has always been a mentor for all of us, when we were starting our careers at the time he played and now he has the same opportunity to continue the same again. Especially for the younger guys who are in early stages of their career, just experience that he has gained over the years and having conversations with him about the game,” said Kohli during a Captain’s Call organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) ahead of the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup.
“Such practical inputs and such intricate details of where the game is going and where we can improve. He makes a difference when he is in a leadership role in any team, absolutely delighted to have him in this environment. He will certainly boost the morale of the team further,” he added.
- MS Dhoni has won 8 titles in T20s, including the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. It remains the only title for India.
- Dhoni, 40, guided CSK to IPL 2021 title despite finishing 7th last year– a brilliant turnaround.
- He is the only captain to win all three ICC titles- World Cups and Champions Trophy
- He has an experience of leading in 300 T20 matches. The second best is Darren Sammy 208.
- Kohli has grown under the leadership of MS Dhoni, his presence will keep him under control.
T20 World Cup LIVE: When asked about India’s performance in the past two T20 World Cups, Kohli said: “It was quite frustrating to go out the way we did in the 2016 T20 World Cup, but to a deserving side I thought. West Indies was the best team in that tournament, playing the best cricket as a team I felt and they thoroughly deserved to win that tournament. We had a heartbreak against Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup finals as well, that tells us as far as our T20 cricket is concerned, we have always had a strong side.”
“Lot of youngsters from the IPL have now come into their roles and they are players who can change the game at any stage. So, we are quite confident heading into this World Cup, knowing we have a strong side and potentially we could go deep in the tournament and if we reach knockouts, go one step further,” he added.
T20 World Cup LIVE- Talking about Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s heading into T20 World Cup, Kohli said: “His economy rate continued to be top-notch in the IPL, he has always been known for this, and his experience comes to the fore. I think his experience and accuracy have always been priceless for the team. He is back to full fitness which augers really well for our team. I am sure he will get assistance with the new ball.”
T20 World Cup India Schedule
| Match | Date | Time | Venue |
| IND vs PAK | Oct-24 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| IND vs NZ | Oct-31 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| IND vs AFG | Nov-03 | 7:30 PM IST | Abu Dhabi |
| India vs B1 | Nov-05 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| India vs A2 | Nov-08 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| Semifinal 1 | Nov-10 | 7:30 PM IST | Abu Dhabi |
| Semifinal 2 | Nov-10 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| Final | Nov-14 | 7:30 PM IST | Dubai |
| Reserve Days for Semifinals and Final | |||
Also read: T20 World Cup: From Ishan Kishan to Tabraiz Shamsi, 5 key players to watch out in T20 WC
T20 World Cup: BCCI Prez Sourav Ganguly for Virat Kohli’s team, ‘show maturity if want to win the World Cup’
India T20 World Cup – Sourav Ganguly: Meanwhile, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has a special piece of advice for Kohli & his team. According to Ganguly Kohli led Team India have the talent to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 – but they need to be mature & mentally strong if they want to win the World Cup. India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24
“So, you don’t become champions easily and you just don’t become champions just by stepping into a tournament, so they have to get through the process, they have to show maturity,” Ganguly said when
asked what India needs to do to win the title. “…they all have the talent, they all have the skill to score runs and take wickets at this level. They just have to be mentally in good space to win the World Cup,” the flamboyant former left-handed batter quipped.
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