Manchester: Favourites going into the semifinals, one bad day in office ruined India’s World Cup hopes, and Virat Kohli suggested the ICC to consider introducing IPL-style playoffs in the knockout stages in future to ensure a level-playing field.
By his own admission, India lost the match in the first 45 minutes of their chase of 240, shattering a billion hopes days after the team finished on top of the league stage.
Asked whether IPL-style playoffs should be an option in future, Kohli said, “Who knows in future. Maybe. If topping the table means anything. I think these things can come into consideration, looking at the magnitude of this tournament.”
“That is a really valid point. You never know when that is going to be implemented,” he said.
The Indian skipper, however, said the semifinal format has its own charm as it completely negates a team’s previous performances in the event.
“But I think that’s the challenge and different kind of fun of these games as well that you have to be precise. It doesn’t matter what you have done before that. It’s a fresh day, fresh start, and if you are not good enough, you go home,” Kohli said. “So you have to accept that, as I said. It’s a different challenge for all the teams to turn up on that day and be absolutely at the top of their game and whoever does that they get the result, as you saw today.”
PTI