World T20: IPL experience has robbed India of home advantage, says Kohli

Published December 11, 2015
Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan (L), Virat Kohli (C) and Ajinkya Rahane (R) pose with the 2016 World Twenty20 trophy in Mumbai. — AFP
Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan (L), Virat Kohli (C) and Ajinkya Rahane (R) pose with the 2016 World Twenty20 trophy in Mumbai. — AFP

MUMBAI: Virat Kohli played down India's status Friday as favourites for cricket's World Twenty20, saying their rivals' experience of playing in the IPL had robbed the tournament's hosts of home advantage.

Speaking at a promotional event for the trophy, the swashbuckling batsman said many players expected to star in the tournament had grown familiar with local conditions through the annual Indian Premier League (IPL).

“So many players all around the world have played in the IPL for eight-nine years now, so they are pretty familiar with the Indian conditions,” he said.

“It's not such a big home advantage anymore and, especially with formats like T20 where the cricket is so quick, any team could be a favourite.”

Kohli said that India's recent defeat against South Africa in a T20 series that preceded the just-completed Test series showed that foreign players “know where to bowl and which shots to hit in Indian conditions”.

Bookmakers have India as 3-1 favourites to win the tournament which is taking place from March 8 to April 3, with Australia priced at 5-1.

The IPL is also usually held in April, featuring players from most of the leading countries in world cricket.

Kohli was part of the team which won the 50 over World Cup on home soil in 2011 but he was on the losing side when India lost the last World T20 against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh in 2013.

Although he skippers the Test side, he is expected to be back in the ranks during the World T20 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Opinion

Editorial

Tax unrest
Updated 14 Jul, 2025

Tax unrest

Govt has a very poor track record of staying the course of tough decisions that affect the ruling party’s core political base.
Surging numbers
14 Jul, 2025

Surging numbers

PAKISTAN is running out of time — and space. Our population, now over 240m, continues to grow at nearly 2pc a ...
Media matters
14 Jul, 2025

Media matters

PAKISTAN’s journalists are no strangers to living dangerously. The Freedom Network’s new report, Journalism in...
Hybrid worries
Updated 13 Jul, 2025

Hybrid worries

Once elected office is reduced to theatre, useful only for maintaining appearances, it becomes a stage for managing perceptions rather than exercising power.
Bitter taste
13 Jul, 2025

Bitter taste

THE government’s plan to import 350,000 tonnes of sugar, months after allowing the export of more than twice that...
No red lines
13 Jul, 2025

No red lines

THE US’ move to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied...