T20 WC: England wary of Kohli threat ahead semifinal clash

England coach Matthew Mott points to Kohli's tendency to produce his best performances in big matches

Providence: England coach Matthew Mott is wary of the threat Virat Kohli possesses as his side prepares for a knockout semi-final against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Kohli is yet to fire at this tournament with a mere 66 runs from six innings, but Mott is expecting the experienced right-hander to lift for the semi-final clash in Guyana.

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Mott pointed to Kohli’s tendency to produce his best performances in big matches and knows his team must quell the top-order threat the 35-year-old will carry on Thursday.

“Virat has proven his class over a very long period of time and he is one of the players we’ve prepared well for. We know how he can play; we know how destructive he can be and we also know his game smarts. If the game demands an innings of a different nature, he’s got that skill,” Mott said in the pre-match press conference.

“So, he’s definitely a key player for them and like we’ve said throughout this tournament what’s happened throughout this tournament means nothing tomorrow when we face off against each other – big players step up in the big moments We’re hoping our players do that but you can expect him to do exactly the same,” the head coach added.

The final four clash in Guyana will be a rematch of the 2022 semi-final between England and India and Mott is hopeful of a similar result after his side cruised to a 10-wicket triumph in that contest at the Adelaide Oval.

The conditions teams will face in the Caribbean will be vastly different to the ones they encountered two years ago and for both England and India it will be the first match this tournament they have played at the Guyana National Stadium.

Mott believes both teams will need to adapt to the conditions they face and the team that prevails will be the one that adjusts more quickly. “I don’t think anyone starts at an advantage or disadvantage in a semi-final. I think it’s who adapts (to the conditions) the quickest. I think you can come in with preconceived ideas, but our mantra has always been playing what’s in front of us,” Mott noted.

So, the intel that we can get in those first couple of overs, whether it’s with the bat or the ball, that’s been a real strong suit in this competition, the communication back and forth about what to expect, what ends to maybe target with the wind.

“I’ve arrived today, there’s no wind today, but we can expect that there will be some wind. And probably the key advantage for us is having someone like (former West Indies all-rounder) Kieron Pollard in our camp, whose intel on all the islands and what we can expect has been invaluable. He’s got a great presence within our group and the way he goes about it,” the 50-year-old concluded.