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PHOTOS: Kohli with other captains at Champions Trophy opening dinner
By Rediff Sports Desk
May 31, 2017

IMAGE: Virat Kohli at the ICC Champions Trophy opening dinner. Photograph: ICC/Twitter

India skipper Virat Kohli, South Africa’s AB de Villiers, England’s Eoin Morgan and Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza attended the ICC Champions Trophy opening dinner on Tuesday.

 

The tournament is scheduled to begin from June 1 and the four skippers were also spotted indulging in a discussion prior to the start of the tournament.

India will benefit from a fitter, more mature squad when they begin their defence of the Champions Trophy, but the team have little room for error because of the tournament's short format, skipper Virat Kohli said.

India begin their Group B campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 4, before facing Sri Lanka and South Africa, and Kohli called for complete focus.

 

South Africa have been buoyed by one-day international win over England at Lord's and the side will go into this week's Champions Trophy with confidence, said coach Russell Domingo.

South Africa begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Saturday.

Holders India and Australia, twice Champions Trophy winners, are among the favourites, along with South Africa who won the inaugural tournament in 1998.

 

England have never won a global 50-over tournament but they will not get a better chance to end their long wait than in this year's Champions Trophy on home soil.

Eoin Morgan's team have been transformed since their dismal World Cup performance two years ago, playing a vibrant and aggressive brand of cricket that should make them formidable in their own conditions.

 

England face Bangladesh in the opening Champions Trophy group game on Thursday before meeting New Zealand and Australia.

Rediff Sports Desk
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