Ravi Shastri says THIS on difference between Virat Kohli of 2014 and 2021Team India skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri seemed pretty confident ahead of their departure for England for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against the hosts in August-September.

Team India will be getting very less time to prepare for the summit clash as they will have to serve a quarantine in England before they can get out for training, while their opponent New Zealand are getting as ideal a preparation a side can get playing the hosts England for two Test matches.

However, speaking at the pre-departure press conference the skipper wasn't concerned with the lack of time to prepare for the final saying that it is all in the mind and they don't have any issues with the time they are getting to prepare for the final game at Southampton starting June 18.

"In the past we've landed three days prior to the schedule and had a great tour. It's not the first time we're touring England. It's all in the mind. We don't have any issues even with just four practice sessions ahead of the final. We all want to make the most of our opportunities," he said.

Kohli, for whom this is the third tour of England after 2014 and 2018 was asked what changes does he see in himself since the time he first toured the country. Kohli first answered saying that he has definitely aged but then said that he never imagined that he was going to be leading the side in the first-ever WTC final in 2021.

"If in 2014, you would have told me that in 2021 I'm going to play the WTC final, I would have had a tough time believing that. I have stopped looking at series as ultimate tasks or goals. It's about leading the team in the right way," said Kohli.

Coach Shastri too was quick to respond to the same question saying, "The Kohli of 2021 is slimmer and fitter and only has five and half thousand more runs."

Source : DNA India