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World Test Championships will be challenging, but all the more exciting: Virat Kohli


The World Cup is now history. With a disappointing semifinal defeat — India’s second successive last-four exit from the quadrennial gala — ended an intense period focused on the 50-over cricket. With the longest and shortest formats set to dominate the international arena for the next two years, it was natural that captain Virat Kohli was primarily looking forward to India’s performance in T20s and Tests as he boarded a flight to the United States to kick-start India’s tour against West Indies.

The first leg of the tour will start with a three-T20I series set to kick off India’s spree of 20 T20Is scheduled over the next six months with an eye on the World Twenty20 editions to be staged in 2020 (Australia) and 2021 (India). And the month-long series will end with a two-Test series, which will be India’s foray into the maiden World Test Championship (WTC).

It’s no wonder then, that Kohli was excited about both the aspects. While he was looking forward to the WTC since it will bring attention to Test cricket, he was upbeat about gelling with youngsters that have blooded in to the T20 side.

“Test cricket really needed a boost. The players were always putting in the effort but from a global point of view an incentive attached in a way which the Test Championship presents. I think for all the cricketers involved now, every session and every game will be more intense, there will be more on the line. So it will be challenging, but all the more exciting and all the teams I am sure are going to enjoy a lot through this whole journey of the Test Championships,” Kohli said.

With India set to feature in six T20I series from now before the Indian Premier League, Kohli was keen on judging the skill-set of the younger lot that could form the crux for the next two T20 World Cups. Moreover, with West Indies being a formidable T20 side, Kohli expected a stern test starting next week.

“I am particularly excited about the first three T20s, because as I said a new lot of players coming in, some players have done well really in the format and shown great composure in tournaments like IPL and domestically as well,” he said. “It is a great marker for all those guys and for us as a team as well, to have them in the squad.”



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