India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday played down the hype surrounding their upcoming marquee clash with arch-rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, saying it is just another game of cricket for the players.
Defending champions India will be opening their campaign against Pakistan at the Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 4 amidst tense bilateral relations between the
two nations.
Asked if playing Pakistan in the current political scenario is a good thing, Kohli said: "What do you think? You seem to have come here with your own mindset.
"With all due respect, whatever else is going on, as a cricketer, you can't even think about your partner at the other end when you are batting.
"It's about playing the game. Yes, India-Pakistan is always exciting for the fans. It's different for them. For us, it is just a game of cricket. In our heads nothing really changes, it's exactly the same for us. It's not the first time we are playing against them. Playing for India, you don't need extra motivation."
Kohli was speaking ahead of the team's departure for England.
India have been the dominant side in the World T20 and the 50-over World Cup, leading Pakistan 11-0.
He also conceded that Champions Trophy is qualitatively much more competitive than the World Cup, with top eight teams battling it out in a condensed schedule.
"The competitiveness of the tournament is much higher from the word go. In a World Cup, you still have league games (to get into groove) and may be dominate during the later half, but in Champions Trophy you need to be on top of your game from game one. If you are not, then your chances go down pretty soon," Virat told reporters at the pre-departure media conference here.
"The first challenge is not to think about the fact that we are defending the title. When we went there last time (to the CT in England in 2013), we just wanted to enjoy as a young unit and we ended up winning the tournament," Kohli said talking about how it went on creating a core which is still intact coming into this tournament.
"It ended up (the 2013 triumph) creating a team which has done so well so far. There are a few changes (in current side) but the mindset is similar — to go out there and enjoy our cricket. In Tests, we have been able to reach the top with that mindset — the hunger to win and we want it across all formats."