We treat every game like a knockout: Virat Kohli

Stand-in skipper Kohli wants India to continue playing ruthless cricket and seal the five-match ODI series against Lanka today itself

Hyderabad: Aiming to seal the series against Sri Lanka after two massive victories, Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday said the team is preparing to be ruthless ahead of the 2015 World Cup. Team India thrashed the visitors by 169 runs in the first ODI and won the second game by six wickets, but Kohli insisted that every game is a challenge.


Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane during a practice session in Hyderabad on Saturday. Pics/PTI 

World Cup in mind
"We treat every game like a knockout game, so I am not thinking about 2-0. We are making plans for every game and trying to execute those plans. That's the kind of mindset we want to build going into a tournament like the World Cup, where, come the knockout stage, you play one knockout game and you're out," said Kohli on the eve of the third one-dayer here.

The Men in Blue have literally outplayed the Lankans in every department so far, but Kohli is focused at looking within rather than rejoicing in the opposition's failure. "It doesn't really matter what the other team is feeling like, what their strengths and weaknesses are, as long as we are focused on what we want to do.

If we improve our areas of concern, oppositions should not matter, and that's the kind of culture and belief we are trying to build into this team now," said the top-order batsman. A confident-looking India are looking to seal the series at Uppal itself and Kohli said the mission has just begun for the World Cup Down Under.


Suresh Raina (left) shares a joke with coach Duncan Fletcher (standing) and Ravindra Jadeja in Hyderabad on Saturday 

"It's about being ruthless for us, and winning every game. That's the kind of passion all these guys have, it's a matter of bringing it out. We have to keep the team closest to the combination we want to take into the World Cup, and let those guys play their roles better instead of trying to experiment too much at this point of time."

'It's been tough for SL'
Sri Lanka spin coach Roger Wijesuriya admitted that the Indian tour has been very tough for the Islanders. "This is a very tough tour for us. We have learnt lessons from these two matches. The boys are ready to take another step. It is a challenge, especially for the youngsters. These are opportunities for them to fulfil, and show what they can do," he said.

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