Virat Kohli sets goal ahead of T20 World Cup: Next few months will be important in building team environment

India captain Virat Kohli has set building a happy team environment as his goal with the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup in India this year. Ahead of the 1st T20I of the five-match series against England in Ahmedabad, Kohli said that the change room will be very important across the new few months.

“The goal is simple now, heading into the IPL and then the T20 World Cup. The next few months will be very important from the team environment point of view. How we play as a team, what are we looking to create in the change room. What’s the energy out there in the middle.

And the guys who are not playing as well, lot of celebration, lot of happy faces, lot of energy around the park. That is something we are looking to create now. And the fresh faces will surely help in that regard,” Kohli said at the toss.

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England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl first given the dew factor in Ahmedabad.

“Probably would have bowled first as well. Dew is going to be a massive factor in the second half. Got to get into the game with the ball and restrict them. We were planning to do things like batting first in these conditions where bowling in the dew becomes a factor. It’s a good way to prepare for the World Cup. The next few months will be important from a team environment. Rohit is resting for the first couple of games,” Kohli said.

“We were looking to do something like this a couple of games into the series, where we bat first and test our bowlers with the dew factor. Heading into the World Cup this is the only time we have to test areas where we need to improve,” he added.