WTC final: Indian captain Virat Kohli looks "action-ready" ahead of mega clash with NZ
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday shared pictures of Team India captain Virat Kohli pumping himself up for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand which begins on June 18 in Southampton.
On Tuesday, India and New Zealand announced their 15-member squads for the WTC final. While India left out Mayank Agarwal, all-rounder Mitchell Santner was the prominent name missing from the New Zealand squad.
Taking to their official Twitter account, the ICC shared a collage of pictures of Virat Kohli in the Indian jersey. The images capture the various moods of the Indian captain, from sober to pumped up.
“India skipper @imVkohli looks action-ready for the #WTC21 Final,” ICC wrote on Twitter.
New Zealand played two Tests in England ahead of the WTC final. The Kiwis drew the opening match and won the second, registering their first Test series victory in England since 1999.
On the other hand, the Indian team took part in a three-day practice contest.
Opener Shubman Gill (85 off 135 balls) and Rishabh Pant (121 not out off 94 balls) starred with the bat, while Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj impressed with the ball, claiming three and two wickets respectively.
WTC final not just about Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson: Sachin Tendulkar
In the lead-up to the WTC final, there has been plenty of talk about how the two captains, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, will fare.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar declared that the WTC final would not be a battle between just Kohli and Williamson.
"Let’s understand one thing, it is not about individuals. It is how good the team plays as a unit. These players are critical players in both sides, they will add a lot of value to the team, but it not about Virat Kohli vs Kane Williamson. It is about India versus New Zealand."
Virat Kohli has played nine Tests against New Zealand and has scored 773 runs at an average of 51.53 with three hundreds.