The latest England recruit Jofra Archer has already made it clear that he would want to get the wicket of Virat Kohli in the upcoming World Cup. At the captain's press conference, Kohli had a chance to respond to the statement made by Archer and the Indian captain, ever keen to grab headlines, said that this was a big compliment coming from a world-class bowler.
"I take a lot of pride in performing well for the team and making a big impact on each game I play so if Jofra said that it's a big compliment as he himself as a world-class bowler," he said.
Archer can be England's X-factor
"And the way he has come through at the IPL over the last couple of years, I have seen him and he's played all round the world and done well so there's a good reason why he's been fast-tracked into playing for England in a tournament like the World Cup," Kohli further added.
The Indian skipper also believed that Archer can be England's X-factor as he has all the skill sets which are very different and that when on song, he can generate disconcerting pace which can be intimidating as a batsman.
"I think he's going to be the X-factor because he has all the skill sets and he's very different from anyone else. He can generate a lot of pace which can be intimidating and you don't really expect that from his run-up. He's just a great athlete and I'm sure the England team will be delighted to have him and he will be exciting to watch at the World Cup," Kohli said.
Virat Kohli, understandably, was the centre of all attraction and answered a number of questions, ranging from India-Pakistan contest to the format and the conditions on offer. He also praised the England side for being ruthless in their approach.
"It could be pretty high scoring, but 260/270 is going to be as difficult to get as chasing 370, 380 in a World Cup. I don't see too much high scoring in the latter half of the tournament. Some teams might get on a roll, but you'll see 250 defended as well as because of the kind of pressure that comes with it," Kohli said.
This World Cup will be played in a format where each team will one another once and the top four sides will make it to the semi-finals at the end of the league stage.
