Sunit Jangir

Sunit Jangir

413 Articles

As a Senior Editor at Sacnilk, Sunit Jangir leads our coverage on Indian cinema, box office analytics, and global entertainment trends. Passionate about Cricket, Sunit Jangir is an avid sports lover. He finds inspiration in other people's life stories and try to absorb them. Though introvert by nature, he doesn't feel shy when the topic is cinema and sports, particularly cricket.

Articles Written By Sunit Jangir

It Was Frustrating Not To Reach Three Figures Mark - KL Rahul
2895 days ago
Cricket

It Was Frustrating Not To Reach Three Figures Mark - KL Rahul

He kept getting fifties but was not able to convert those fifties into three figures mark. It has been the story of KL Rahul since home series against England. But as it is said that 'it's better late than never' KL Rahul proved it right. He finally had reached three figures mark on Tuesday, July 3 in the first T20I against England. He had taken trough India home with a sublime 101* off 54 balls while chasing 160.## Before this Rahul had scored his last century back in 2016 against England at Chennai. He missed out his double century in that match as he was dismissed on 199. Since then he has scored 14 half centuries which he failed to convert them into hundred.## “Trust me, I know (about the run),” he joked before the second T20I against England, to be played in Cardiff on Friday, 6 July. “Quite honestly, I didn't know what to make of it, whether I was in form or out of form.## “I kept getting the fifties and was getting out. I was batting well, but somehow, I couldn't get to the three-figure mark. So it was quite frustrating. Being in and out of the team, injuries, and sickness, it all was playing on my mind and kept frustrating me even more.”## “I realised somewhere down the line that it is still better than getting out on single figures and stopped worrying about the three figures. I wanted it really bad and am very happy that it came here in England, in the first game of the series, and hopefully I can carry that confidence forward and use the form and make it big."## It might not happen if Virat Kohli didn't sacrifice his No.3 spot for KL Rahul. But keeping ICC World Cup 2019 in mind, India is looking to make flexible their batting order so that they could find best possible XI and that's why Rahul batted at No.3 ahead of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.## “It has been made clear that there will be few changes in the team and as a batting unit, we need to be flexible in our heads to be able to perform any role or responsibility that has been given to us,” said Rahul. “We are all working towards it. We might want to promote MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya if we get a good start, to go and get us a few sixes or get the run-rate up. So we will be flexible keeping in mind the World Cup.## “When you sit out, you realise that when you get the opportunity how important it is to use that opportunity, not only as a player individually but also for the team. When you get a chance to play, if you help them win a game, then the team will start believing that the player can also do this for the team. So building that confidence for yourself and the team is very important.”## He would ideally open, said Rahul, but No.3 worked fine for him too. “That's where I would love to bat and I have always batted at the top of the order. Nos.1 and 2 are what I am most comfortable in. Shikhar got out early (in Manchester) and it felt like I was opening the batting,” he said.## “It gives me a chance to get my eye in and even use the Powerplay. Whatever chances I get I should make the most of it and I am very happy that I got to bat up the order.” he added.## India will be hoping that Rahul keep playing like this while Rahul will want to make most if his recent form in the second T20I which is scheduled to play on Friday July 6 at Cardiff.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Kuldeep, Rahul dismantles England to go 1-0 up in the series
2898 days ago
Cricket

Kuldeep, Rahul dismantles England to go 1-0 up in the series

Kuldeep Yadav's 5 for 24 and a sizzling 101* off 54 balls from KL Rahul helped India to take a 1-0 lead in 3-match T20I series after they comprehensively beat England by 8-wickets at Old Trafford on Tuesday, July 3.## Earlier in this match, India had won the toss and opted to field first. England got off to a solid start and reached their fifty in just 5th over. At one stage they were all set to score big at 106 for 2 after 13 overs. But it was Kuldeep Yadav who changed the game completely in space of 6 balls. He took 3-wickets in 14 over and left England in an awful situation at 109 for 5 after 14.## Jos Buttler who has been in the sensational form since IPL continued his form in this match also and scored another half-century. He got out in the 18 over of the innings after scoring 69 off 46 balls.## David Willey played a quickfire cameo of 29* off 15 balls and helped his side to reach to 159 after 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was the stand out performer for India while Umesh Yadav also bowled well and finished his spell with 4-0-21-2.## In reply of 160, India lost an early wicket as David Willey clean bowled Shikhar Dhawan in first over the innings. He scored only 4 off 4 balls. Virat Kohli who used to bat at No.3 sent KL Rahul ahead of him and that proved to be a masterstroke. Rahul continued his red-hot form and smashed his second T20I century off just 53 balls.## Rahul played with an aggressive mindset and didn't allow any bowler to settle while his partner Rohit Sharma was happy to give him a strike. Both put on a match-winning partnership of 123 off 71 balls before Sharma got out on 32 off 30 balls. With 30 runs needed off 44 balls, the match had already done and dusted for India. Kohli finished the game in style with a six to Moeen Ali over long on. He remained unbeaten on 20 off 22 balls.## England didn't have much success with the ball. Adil Rashid who dismissed Rohit was the standout bowler for England. He finished his spell with 1 for 25 in his 4 overs while David Willey who provided the first wicket to England gave away 30 runs in 4 overs.## Kuldeep Yadav became the first left-arm wrist spinner to take 5-wickets haul in T20I and was awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning spell. The second T20I will be played on Friday, July 6 at Cardiff.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

All-round batting display set up tri-series win for India A
2899 days ago
Cricket

All-round batting display set up tri-series win for India A

India A put up a dominating show to win Tri-series in England. They beat England A by 5-wickets in a close encounter on Monday, July 2.## It was a collective effort from the batsmen which set up India A's win. Led by Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 64 off 62 balls, Mayank Agarwal (40), skipper Shreyas Iyer (44), Hanuma Vihari (37) and Krunal Pandya (34*) played their part in series win.## Earlier in this match, it was India A who won the toss and opted to field first. Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmad provided early wickets to India A as both the openers dismissed on 33.## England needed a partnership to rebuild their innings. Sam Hain and Livingstone did the same and put on a 152-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Hain completes his hundred and scored 108 off 122 balls while Livingstone made 83 off 82 balls. Indian bowlers pulled things back in death overs and restricted England A to 264 for 9.## Khaleel Ahmad was the stand out performer for the India A. He conceded only 48 runs and pick 3 wickets in his 10 overs. Deepak Chahar who has been included in Indian T20I squad, also bowled well and finished his spell with 10-0-58-3. Shardul Thakur also picked 2 for 42 in 10 overs.## In reply of 265, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal gave good start and added 39 off 37 balls before Shaw gets dismissed on 15. When India A was going strong, Liam Dawson dismissed Agarwal and Shubhman Gill in his back to back overs and left India A in a bit worry situation on 83 for 3 after 15.3 overs.## Skipper Iyer and Vihari played sensible after 3 wickets lost and put on a 67-run partnership for the 4th wickets before Iyer got out. Vihari along with Pant took India further and added 46 for the fifth wickets. After losing 196 for 5, Pant and Pandya take through India A home without losing any more wicket further and put on unbeaten 71 run for the sixth wicket. For England, Dawson was the most successful bowler. He picked 2 for 37 in his 9 overs.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

IPL has broken the barrier to a great extent - Virat Kohli
2899 days ago
Cricket

IPL has broken the barrier to a great extent - Virat Kohli

The stage is set for the biggest cricketing summer When two of the best limited over sides (India-England) will take on each other in 1st of three T20I on Tuesday, July 3 at Old Trafford, Manchester.## There will be a lot of chit-chat and tension around there. Both sides have players who are known for their aggressive approach. But Virat Kohli has taken the chatter down an unexpected road.## He was talking in the pre-match press conference that IPL has broken the barrier between the two sides. There will be a lot of friendship between the players as most of the players from both sides have become a good friend because of IPL.## It [IPL] is going to make relations between the two teams even better. I think because England hasn't played so much IPL cricket, there was never that familiarity or that sort of warmth between the two teams as much as we have with the other teams, purely because we didn't know the guys enough to be able to have conversations with them. I think this season has broken that barrier to a great extent," Kohli said.## "It is going to continue to happen in the future. I heard a lot of people are keen to go and play [IPL] and they should. Why not; it's a great league to play in. As Jos [Buttler] has been saying for months now, it has done great things to his mindset and he's taking that on in every format.## "So yeah I was really glad to see the rigid mindset was sort of kept on the side and people were allowed to come over. It did great things for them and it is going to do great things for global cricket as well," he added.## Virat Kohli didn't pick any side as a favourite to win. Both team players have played with and against each other in the IPL. So they must be aware of each other's strength and weakness.## "We believe in our abilities as a team, we have a lot of T20 experience, we have just come off the IPL and couple of games against Ireland as well where the team has looked great. Obviously, in T20 cricket the wickets are going to be something that provides entertainment to the crowd, so there's no one team that has an advantage in this format." - Virat Kohli said.## Looking at the weather of Manchester, India must be feeling right at home as the city experiencing some hottest days in recent times. He also spoke about his county stint for Surrey which was dismissed due to neck injury.## "It is as dry as I've seen it ever. Having spoken to the guys who've come here and played... they said it was a great experience for them learning a lot more things about their game. Especially I spoke to [Cheteshwar] Pujara, and Ishant [Sharma] as well, who've been here before. They said it is a great setup to be a part of. It is a great time to play cricket there. As a cricket,er you look for new challenges every now and then and that's something that I wanted to go and experience.## "Because we don't get to play so much cricket here before we come on tour. That was the main reason behind it... because all these guys come during the IPL and get a feel of how the wickets are and all those sorts of things. From that point of view, we thought why can't we do it...why can't we go over and play in those conditions and get to know how the pitches work and all that.## "But looking at the weather it is totally opposite to what it was when the season was going on. I don't think it is something... on hindsight when I look at it now I don't think it would've made too much of a difference to my preparation. The weather seems to be the same but there is a cool breeze. Wind is different. From a familiarity point of view it is a thing of comfort when you get weather conditions like this as soon as you arrive here," Kohli said.## The first T20I will be played at Manchester on June 3 and the rest two are scheduled to play on 6 and 8 July at Cardiff and Bristol respectively.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Thumb injury ruled Bumrah out of England T20Is
2901 days ago
Cricket

Thumb injury ruled Bumrah out of England T20Is

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of T20I series against England after he gets fractured his thumb while fielding in the 1st T20I against Ireland.## According to reports, he gets injured his thumb while trying to stop the ball against Ireland in Malahide Cricket Ground, Dublin in 1st T20I.## Bumrah didn't train on the following day of the 1st T20I and also was rested in the second match. Reports claim that he underwent a scan of his injured thumb and the results are yet to be revealed.## Jasprit Bumrah also could miss the one-dayer considering five-match Test series against England to regain full fitness.## This could be the big blow to Indian chances as Bumrah consider one of the best bowlers in white ball cricket especially after knowing that England's batsmen are in red-hot form.## The three-match T20I series will kickstart from Tuesday, June 3 and followed by 3-match ODI series.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

All-round India seal T20I series
2902 days ago
Cricket

All-round India seal T20I series

You may call it a drubbing, a thrashing, a pasting but none of these words can describe India's dominance over Ireland in ongoing T20I series. It was another day but the result remains same for both side as India outplayed Ireland in 2nd T20I at Dublin to handed them a 143-run defeat to seal the series 2-0.## It was nothing but a classic example of Indian batting. Ireland put India to bat first after winning the toss for the second time in the series. India took full advantage of this and set a massive total of 213 on the board after 20 overs.## KL Rahul who missed out the last match got an opportunity to open the innings. He grabbed this and played a blitzing inning of 70 off 36 balls. Suresh Raina also makes most of it and scored his fifth T20I fifty. He got dismiss in the 18th over of the inning after scoring 69 off 45 balls.## Hardik Pandya played a sizzling cameo of 32 off 9 balls in the end and took India to 213 for 4 after 20 overs. Manish Pandey also scored unbeaten 21 off 20 balls.## Kevin O Brien was the most successful bowler for Ireland. He conceded 40 runs in 4 overs and picked 3 wickets. Peter Chase who dismissed Indian skipper Virat Kohli, gave away 42 runs in 4 overs after conceded only 10 runs in first 2 overs.## In reply of 214, Ireland had no answer of Indian bowling. And resulted in, the bowled out on just 70 in 12.3 overs. Skipper Gary Wilson was the top scorer with 15 off 18 balls.## Umesh Yadav and debutant Siddarth Kaul were impressive with the new ball. Yadav bowled 2 overs and picked 2 wickets for 19 while Kaul picked a wicket for just 4 runs in 2 overs. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal picked 3 wickets each and played a big role in bowling out Ireland on the modest total.## KL Rahul awarded Man Of The Match while Chahal named Man Of The Series for picking 6 wickets in 2 matches.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Shaw, Vihari shines in India A's win
2902 days ago
Cricket

Shaw, Vihari shines in India A's win

Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari shone as India A crushed West Indies A by 203 runs at County Ground, Northampton on Friday, June 29. India A set a massive total of 354 before bowling out Windies on 151. India A who already reached into the final of the tri-series won their 3rd game in 4 matches while Windies remains winless in as many games.## In moreover a dead rubber match, India A had won the toss and opted to bat first. India A lost early wickets of Rishabh Pant and skipper Iyer on 28 in 4th over before Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari add 160 runs for the 3rd wicket. Shaw got dismiss after scoring 102 off 90 balls.## Hanuma Vihari who had scored a half-century in the last match against England got his century this time. He scored 147 off 131 balls before got run out on the last ball of the innings. Deepak Hooda (21), Vijay Shankar (28) and Ishan Kishan (21) also played important innings to lift India's score to a massive 354 for 6 after 50 overs.## West Indies' Khemar Holder was the most successful bowler. He picked 3 wickets for 70 in his 10 overs. In the match where all other bowlers went for over 6-runs per over, Cornwall bowled a most economical spell for West Indies. He gave away 43 runs in 10 overs and picked a wicket.## In reply of massive 355, West Indies A looked nowhere in this game as they kept losing wickets in regular intervals. Chandrapaul Hemraj was the highest scorer for his side with 43 off 46 balls. Sunil Ambris (32), Reifer (26) got the start but couldn't capitalize. Windies couldn't play even full 50 overs and bowled out on 151 in 37.4 overs.## India bowled really well. Axer Patel took for 4 wickets for 36 but Deepak Chahar was the star performer once again. He dismissed dangerous Jermaine Blackwood on the very first ball of the innings and Andre McCarthy on 17 in his 3rd over. Karshinappa Gowtham completed his spell and gave away only 38 runs and picked a wicket also.## The final will be played between India A and England A on Monday, July 2 at London.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

When batsmen scored runs, it became easier to bowl - Kuldeep Yadav
2903 days ago
Cricket

When batsmen scored runs, it became easier to bowl - Kuldeep Yadav

India started their overseas season with a thumping 76-run win over Ireland on Wednesday, June 27. Led by Rohit Sharma's 97 off 61 balls and Shikhar Dhawan's 74 off 45 balls India posted a mammoth total of 208 on the board before Kuldeep Yadav (4/21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/38) restricted Ireland to 132 for 8 in 20 overs.## The 23-year old Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav was particularly very impressive. He used his variations very well which becomes very hard for a batsman to pick. He said in the post-match press conference that India was pleased with their performance and also it was a good match for him personally.## "It was a good start. batsmen scored the runs, So it became easier to bowl, as there was a target of over 200 to defend. Individually, it was a good game for me as the ball was coming out like I wanted to, variations were also coming out well. So it was a good start.## "Conditions were normal. The wicket was a touch slow and the ball also was turning. So I was feeling normal, it didn't feel any different," he said.## Kuldeep Yadav is one of those bowlers who always thinks for wickets. It shows in his bowling as he bowls attacking line and length all the time. His thinking process makes him different bowler from others.## "It depends on the style of bowling, my style is different. I always look for wickets and give breakthroughs to my team. That is my style. But each bowler has his own style of bowling. I always look for wickets," he said.## Apart from his team's success, Kuldeep believes that Ireland will get better from here. He feels that it become tough for them to play wrist spinners as they are not used to play such kind of bowling.## "They played our fast bowlers pretty well but struggled against spinners," he observed. "They did use their feet but did not show much footwork. We vary the pace, bowl slow, and (I can understand) they possibly are not used to such kind of bowling, but the more they play they will get better."## India's spin twin Kuldeep and Chahal both bowled really well in 1st T20 which is a positive sign for the Indian side before taking on inform England.## Tha second match of the T20I series between Ireland and India will be played on Friday, June 29 at The Village, Dublin.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Rohit, Spinners guide India to an easy win
2904 days ago
Cricket

Rohit, Spinners guide India to an easy win

It was a dominating display of both batting and bowling which helped India to beat Ireland in 1st match of 2-match T20I series at The Village, Dublin on Wednesday, June 27.## First, it was Rohit Sharma (97 off 61 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (74 off 45 balls) helped India to reach on the mammoth total of 208 in 20 overs. After that Kuldeep Yadav (4 for 21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3 for 38) restrict Ireland to 132 for 9 in 20 overs.## Earlier in the day, it was Ireland who had won the toss and opted India to bat first. The decision went against them as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan added 160 off 96 balls for the first wicket before Dhawan got out. Dhawan hit 5 fours and 5 sixes in his innings.## Rohit Sharma continued to play his shots but unfortunately, he missed out his 3rd hundred in the shortest format of the game and fell just 3 runs short in the last over of the innings. When he got out India had already been scored 202 runs. Hardik Pandya hit six off the last ball which was the only ball he had faced.## Ireland's bowlers were taken all around the park by Rohit and Dhawan despite Peter Chase who was the best bowler for his side. He finished his spell with 4 for 35 in his 4 overs.## In reply of 209, only James Shannon could saw some fight and scored 60 off 35 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes. None of the other batsmen could contribute much as Stuart Thompson (12) was the second highest run scorer. Kavin O Brien (10) and Andy Balbirnie (11) got the start but couldn't capitalise it.## The spin twin of India Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal bowled brilliantly and shared 7 wickets with each other. Jasprit Bumrah also got 2 wickets for 19 in 4 overs. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar couldn't get a wicket but he was the most economical bowler of the match. He finished his spell with 4-0-16-0.## Kuldeep Yadav awarded Man Of The Match for his brilliant spell of spin bowling. The second and final match will be played on 29th June at same venue.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Virat and Bumrah topped in ICC's latest ODI Rankings
2905 days ago
Cricket

Virat and Bumrah topped in ICC's latest ODI Rankings

Indian skipper Virat Kohli remained on the top spot in latest ICC MRF Tyres ODI batting Ranking with 909 points while his teammate, pacer Jasprit Bumrah topped in bowling ranking with 787 points.## England's Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow were also the gainers in batting ranking. Roy who was the highest run-getter in recently concluded series against Australia enters in top 20 while Bairstow moved up 4 places to 11.## England's wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler who was the Man Of The Series against Australia gained two positions and moved up to 16 while Alex Hales and skipper Eoin Morgan benefitted too. But their Test skipper, Joe Root didn't have good series with the bat as he had scored only 104 runs in 5 innings and resulted in, he slipped 3 spots to 6.## England's spin twin, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid who played an important role in their 5-0 win, moved up to 13th and 9th position respectively in bowlers rankings. The duo shared 12 wickets each in 5 matches with remarkable economy rates of 5.09 and 5.60 respectively.## Australia didn't have an ideal result in terms of winning but their stand out performer Shaun Marsh, who slammed two centuries on his way to scoring 288 runs. That helped him re-enter the table at No.80, while Travis Head, who scored three half-centuries, reached a career-best 670 points, putting him at No.19, up by three spots.## Pakistan's Babar Azam moved up behind No.1 Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma (No.4) and Ross Taylor (No.5) gained too despite not being in action. While in bowling, Bumrah and Afghanistan's Rashid Khan moved up significantly at the top of the chart. Yuzvendra Chahal is at 8th position with 667 points.## Top-5 Batsman:## 1. Virat Kohli (IND) - 909 Points## 2. Babar Azam (PAK) - 813 Points## 3. David Warner (AUS) - 803 Points## 4. Rohit Sharma (IND) - 799 Points## 5. Ross Taylor (NZ) - 785 Points## Top-5 Bowlers:## 1. Jasprit Bumrah (IND) - 787 Points## 2. Rashid Khan (AFG) - 763 Points## 3. Hasan Ali (PAK) - 711 Points## 4. Trent Boult (NZ) - 699 Points## 5. Josh Hazlewood (AUS) - 696 Points## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

MS Dhoni is good but Jos Buttler is at peak of his powers - Tim Paine
2906 days ago
Cricket

MS Dhoni is good but Jos Buttler is at peak of his powers - Tim Paine

Is there any better wicketkeeper-batsman than England's Jos Buttler at this moment in the world?. Well Australian stand-in skipper Tim Paine don't think so.## After humiliating 5-0 lose to England, Australia's stand-in skipper said that it is a hard time for Australian cricket. But he was nothing sort in praising England's wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler and reckons that he is the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world at the moment.## "He's good. He's very good," said the Australia captain. “Right now, at the moment, he'd have to be the best white-ball wicket-keeper batsman in the world. I don't think there are too many guys to challenge him. MS Dhoni is pretty good, but right at this moment, Jos is at the absolute peak of his powers.## “He understands his one-day game so well and knows his strengths inside-out and just doesn't go away from him. He's someone for our batters to watch and see first-hand. Those experiences are going to be really good for D'Arcy Short or Travis Head, to see him and Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy at their best.”## Jos Buttler helped England to whitewash Australia with a sublime 110* in the final ODI where he single-handedly took his side over the line. He awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning knock as well as Man Of The Series for scoring 275 runs in 5 innings with an astonishing average of 137.50.## England's skipper Eoin Morgan wasn't stingy with his words to praising his teammates after his brilliant performance in final ODI.## "To produce an innings like that when we needed, and to engage in partnerships with … they’re not tail-enders, they’re our lower order … it’s something that we saw in the past as well (from Buttler) and it’s something that is taken for granted,” said Morgan.## “He used all his experience today, particularly on a wicket that was two-paced, and managed to get us over the line somehow. When he plays like that, he creates a lot of belief in the changing room and amongst the guys, and that rubs off on the confidence level as well. Outstanding.”## England whitewash Australia which is their first ever whitewash over their arch-rivals in one-day cricket. On the other hand, after losing 5-0, Australia slipped to 6th rank which is their lowest since 1984 in ODIs.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

Looking forward to travel and play difficult cricket - Virat Kohli
2909 days ago
Cricket

Looking forward to travel and play difficult cricket - Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri were all pumped up before heading to Ireland and the United Kingdom tour where India will play 2 T20s against Ireland and 3 T20s, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests against England.## Virat Kohli who missed out Afghanistan's Test due to the neck injury was talking to the media in New Delhi on Friday, June 22 along with coach Shastri.## Kohli has been moved on from last England tour where he failed to make an impact and expecting from people to get over of it.## "I think a lot of people have held on to the last tour for too long. We've had the Champions Trophy as well which has totally been forgotten - I don't think that was in Bangladesh. I was asked this question when we reached England (what are you looking forward to?), and I said taking a walk and having coffee on the street. My thinking is very different when I go on a tour, I literally am looking forward to enjoying the country, am not even thinking of the cricket. I know if I'm in a good zone, I will play well. If I think like how people are thinking on the outside, then things don't happen.## Virat is excited to get back on the field after missing Afghanistan Test and looking forward to playing abroad.## "This is just another series for me individually, but for us as a team, this is a very exciting time. After what happened in South Africa, we're actually looking forward to playing more difficult Test cricket. That I feel is the best thing that can happen.## "You don't want to go to England saying, 'Oh the Test series in one month'. We want it to actually be sooner. That's the kind of excitement we take along with us. It's the same case with the ODIs and the T20s. It's just a great phase for Indian cricket."## When it comes to fitness, no one can match Virat Kohli even though he missed out a Test due to injury he is one of the fittest players of this generation.## "I'm 100% ready to go. The neck is fine now. I have had six to seven sessions in Mumbai. I have had a good practice. I am absolutely ready to go. Went through a fitness test as well so the body is feeling fine. I'm actually excited to get back on the field which is a very rare thing when you play so much cricket but I think these sort of breaks really help and mentally they make you fresh and excited to go back on the pitch again," Kohli said.## "In hindsight, I feel what has happened is the best for me. I wanted (to experience) the more difficult phase of those conditions. I wanted the wet and damp conditions where Puji [Cheteshwar Pujara], Ishant and Varun played in. But in hindsight, if I was 90% with my body and used to the conditions rather than 110% and fresh, I'd much rather be where I am today."## Coach Ravi Shastri also believes that fitness enhanced your ability to do well and play good cricket. He was talking about benefits of Yo-Yo test which has become mandatory for selection in the team.## "You have a certain ability, but if you're fit then that same ability gets enhanced. And that's why we emphasise on this yo-yo thing. And whoever thinks it's a one-off, he's sadly mistaken. He can take a walk. The philosophy is simple. You pass, you play. You fail, you sit. The captain leads from the front, the selectors are on the same page, the entire team management is on the same page and the boys have responded extremely well."## Virat said this time its ideal condition for us as we will get enough time before playing 5-match Test series, unlike last time where India play Test cricket before limited overs series.## "Preparation, it's ideal. You get to play ODIs, then T20s and by the time the Test starts, it's already a month. There's a lot of time to acclimatise. The plan is the same as that was in South Africa, against Sri Lanka, and what was there before. The strategy doesn't change. Mindset doesn't change if we don't perform in one series or another. Our focus is on cricket. We don't have to do anything different. We have to play with a match-winning mindset. It's not about individual players, it's about the team."## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.##