Bangalore: May 10, 2014
As World Cup fever grips soccer fans across the globe, people from all walks of life are excited and cricketers are no exception, as India‘s vice-captain Virat Kohli is ready to root for Germany in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2014.
“This time I am really rooting for them [Germany] because they have got one of the most dangerous sides in the world. Hopefully this will be Germany’s year,” he told reporters in Bangalore.
Kohli said Philipp Lahm is his favourite German footballer as he creates most of the opportunities for his team. “I like Philipp Lahm. I like his work ethic. Probably he is one of those guys who creates most of the space for Germany,” said Kohli at the sidelines of a function, organised by Adidas.
Kohli said Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are his two favourite international footballers. “Christiano Ronaldo is my favourite, as well as Messi because he is also associated with Adidas. It will be great to meet both of them and those are obviously on top of my list,” he said.
Replying to a query, Kohli said Ravindra Jadeja is the most funniest footballer in the Indian squad as he is all over the place and thinks he is as good as Ronaldo. “It is really funny to see some of the guys trying different skills, especially Ravindra Jadeja. You should watch him play football…you will have a laugh. He thinks he is as good as Ronaldo when he gets the ball. I mean you should watch him. It is hilarious,” he said.
While Jadeja plays in all positions, Kohli said he plays as a mid-fielder. “He (Jadeja) plays everywhere. I sort of play mid-fielder but I have to eventually go forward to try and score some goals. Once you give the ball to Jadeja there is no getting it back so I have to sort of take that role over,” he said.
Kohli said it was a great experience to play with international footballer Didier Drogba during an exhibition match in New Delhi in June last year. “Yah, it was a great experience to play with him.”
MS Dhoni is the best footballer in Indian team, Kohli said while replied to a query. He also said the Indian team members follow international football matches with great interest. “Everyone follows pretty cleanly with a lot of interest. We have foreign coaches who have lot of interest in the English Premier League. Our fielding coach Trevor Penney is very passionate about Liverpool. We make groups and there is a lot of bantering around,” he said.
