Virat Kohli Focuses on a Strong Start as India Faces Bangladesh in Champions Trophy

In the opening match of the Champions Trophy, Bangladesh will face title contenders India, who are clearly the favorites. With India being stronger on paper, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s team will look to start the tournament with a win and take a step closer to securing a semifinal spot. However, for Virat Kohli, this match against Bangladesh holds even greater significance.

In an interview with Star Sports, Kohli reflected on India’s previous encounter with Bangladesh in an ICC tournament and how it became a memorable start to their campaign. "The last time we faced Bangladesh in the opening match of an ICC tournament, we had a great start and went on to win the World Cup. So, this is a special memory for me," Kohli said.

Kohli also emphasized that the Champions Trophy has always been one of his favorite tournaments. "To qualify for this tournament, you need to perform consistently well for one or two years. Only the top eight teams get the chance to play in this competition, so there is always a high level of competition," he added.

Comparing the Champions Trophy with the T20 World Cup, Kohli explained, "If you bring the pressure of the T20 World Cup into the ODI format, the Champions Trophy is quite similar. You have to perform at your best in just 3-4 matches. If you don't start well, you’ll be under pressure. So, the first two matches are very important. You need to play your best game from the very beginning, and that’s why I love this tournament."

Having made his debut in the Champions Trophy in 2009, Kohli has scored 529 runs in 13 matches, with an impressive average of 88.16 and a strike rate of 92.32. He is the third-highest run-scorer for India in the tournament, with only Rahul Dravid (627 runs) and Shikhar Dhawan (701 runs) ahead of him.

Kohli recently played in India’s ODI series against England, although he missed the first match due to a knee injury. In the next two matches, he scored 5 and 52 runs, respectively. Now, Kohli is eager to regain his best form in the Champions Trophy and put in a strong performance to help India achieve success.