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Kohli expects team to be good travellers
New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) Ahead of the challenging two-month-long tour of Ireland and England, India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday emphasised on improving the team’s poor overseas record.
While the current India squad are not exactly ‘tigers at home and mice abroad’ as the late Nawab of Pataudi had once said, they had been below par in their recent South Africa tour, losing the three-match Test rubber 1-2.
The last tour to England under Mahendra Singh Dhoni was disastrous for India, since they suffered a 1-3 loss with Kohli’s batting turning out to be a flop show.
With Kohli now leading the team, the Delhi batsman hopes to change the trend of Indian teams not being good travellers.
Addressing a press conference along with coach Ravi Shastri ahead of the team’s departure, Kohli said: “Our strategy will be the same as it was during the tour to South Africa and Sri Lanka. The mindset doesn’t change on the basis of one series. We have patience and the focus is on how to win matches.”
“When we were playing the Test series in South Africa, initially people thought we were outplayed but then the third Test happened and it was followed by the limited overs matches.”
“People can’t see the small things but we as a team know how we did. We are a team looking forward to travelling to other countries and perform. We are looking to change the trend of teams not being good travellers,” he added.
Echoing the statements of the skipper, Shastri said: “Our endeavour in every series will be the same. We won’t change any strategy because we are playing in any other nation. For us, an opposition is an opponent. Our aim is to strive for consistency.”
The 29-year-old Kohli asserted that the long break after the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the decision to forgo his county stint has actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise and helped him rejuvenate for the two-month-long tour.
Addressing concerns surrounding his fitness, the Indian skipper said: “I am 100 percent fine now and absolutely ready to go. My neck is fine now.”
“I’ve had good practice and played 6-7 sessions in Mumbai. Breaks like these make you fresh mentally. It has made me excited to go back on to the pitch again.”
“In hindsight, not playing county cricket was the best thing to happen at that moment although I wanted to experience the conditions. England is a place where we haven’t played so much, there is a big gap of four years. So I wanted to acclimatize to the damp conditions,” he added.
Kohli added: “When I look at it now, attempting to get used to conditions with a 90 percent fit body wasn’t a good idea. Glad I missed it. Now I am 110 percent and I would much rather be in this position. I need to be fresh and that was the best thing to happen.”
The Indian team will play two T20Is against Ireland on June 27 and 29 that would be followed by three T20Is, three ODIs and five Test matches against England starting from July 3.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.