The head coach of reigning champion England, Matthew Mott, is aware of the danger that Virat Kohli poses and feels his squad is ready to take on the legendary batsman on Thursday in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

With a maximum score of 37 and just 66 runs from six innings, Kohli has struggled in this competition. However, Mott believes the right-hander will step up in the semifinal, emphasizing the 35-year-old’s propensity to perform at his best in pivotal situations.

“Virat is one of the guys we’ve prepared well for since he has shown his quality over a very long period of time. We are aware of his skill level, his destructive nature, and his gaming acumen. He has the ability if the situation calls for an innings of a different kind,” Mott was cited by the ICC.

“So, he’s undoubtedly a crucial player for them, and as we’ve said throughout the competition, what transpires now doesn’t matter when we play each other tomorrow—big players step up in the crunch.” He said, “You can expect him to do precisely the same, but we’re hoping our guys do that.

The match in Guyana is a replay of the England vs. India quarterfinal from 2022, which saw the English team win easily by 10 wickets at the Adelaide Oval.

Two years from now, the Caribbean will have quite different circumstances. According to Mott, the winning team will be the one that adjusts to these new circumstances the quickest.

“I don’t believe that there is a starting advantage or disadvantage for anybody in a semi-final.

Whoever adjusts to the circumstances the fastest, in my opinion,. Our motto has always been to play what’s in front of us, but I believe you can come in with preconceived notions,” said Mott.

“I’ve come today; there isn’t much wind, but we should anticipate more soon. Having someone in our camp like Kieron Pollard, a former West Indies all-rounder, whose intelligence on all the islands and what to anticipate has been helpful, is perhaps our biggest edge. He’s really well-liked in our company, and his approach is excellent,” he said in closing.