Brimming with confidence after winning both Test and ODI series against England, Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that the team would like to extend its run in the T20s, insisting that they would like to play more expressive, more positive cricket that what they have been playing in the past.
Addressing the media on the eve of the first T20 of the three-match series here in Kanpur, Kohli said, "We would definitely like to extend our run from Test and ODIs to T20s. We want to play more expressive cricket, play more positive than what we have in the past, not worry about the result too much. In this format we need to go out and show our true potential."
When asked about Yuzvendra Chahal and Parvez Rasool, whom the Indian he has led in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian skipper said the three-match series can serve as a perfect opportunity for them to book their places as T20 specialist spinners.
"It is probably a breakthrough series for them. They haven't played a big series yet so this might be the perfect opportunity to seal their spots as T20 specialist spinners for the future," he said.
When asked about Suresh Raina, who has not played a match for national time since World T20 in March, Kohli said, "I think he (Raina) still has a lot to offer. He has not played in a while because there have not been too many limited overs series since the World T20. We played a lot of Test matches in between so it seems there is a bit of a gap. We still believe he has enough to contribute in shorter formats for India. I would say it is a series of opportunities for a lot of guys to seal their spots."
"Everyone is included in the squad is because we feel that they can contribute. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual (to perform). Hopefully he (Raina) gets back into the groove, he certainly has a lot to offer especially in shorter formats," he further added.
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The swashbuckling Indian batsman, who opens for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, also insisted that he can open the batting depending on the batting combination of the team.
"There are all kinds of possibilities. In IPL, you don't have many international players in terms of batsman because they are spread across the franchises. But here you have the best of the lot as far as the Indian batsmen are concerned. So, we have to figure out what fits in where. We have a lot of options which is a very good thing. So, whatever creates us the best balance as us the best batting combination, we will go ahead with that," he said.
"I have only opened in one T20 game or may be two. I haven't opened much for India. But, I have experience of opening in the IPL. So, as I said, if need be I could or I might not depending on the balance of the side," he added.
It will be India's last limited overs series before the 2017 Champions Trophy, where India are the defending champions. The series will also mark the debut of Kohli as the captain of the Indian T20I side.
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