Virat Kohli indicates support of World Cup format tweak to reward top-placed team

The New Zealand defeat was only India's second of the tournament - they were beaten by England in the league stage and headed the group - and in his post-match press conference Kohli was asked whether the structure of the World Cup should be altered

Virat Kohli indicated he would support a change to the format of the World Cup to better reward the side which finishes first in the 10-team round robin, after India crashed out of the competition.

Kohli’s team lost a dramatic semi-final to New Zealand at Old Trafford on Wednesday, falling 18 runs shy of their opponents’ 239 for 8.

The defeat was India’s second of the tournament - they were only beaten by England in the league stage and headed the group - and in his post-match press conference Kohli was asked whether the structure of the World Cup should be tweaked.

“Who knows in the future… maybe,” he said.

“If topping the table means anything then… I think these things can come into consideration, looking at the magnitude of the tournament it’s a really valid point, I guess.”

In the Indian Premier League, the side which sits atop the standings has two chances to reach the final.

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In practical terms, it would mean first playing second in a qualifying match, with the winner advancing straight to the final the loser taking on the victor in a separate elimination clash between third and fourth.

There is no indication that the 2023 World Cup, which will be staged in India, is going to take on such a format but the ICC have made a habit of altering the make-up of the tournament down the years.

As it stands, the next event will also be a 10-team round robin, followed by semi-finals and a final.

Kohli did concede, however, that the straight knockout system means teams must be on top of their game to progress, as he lamented “45 minutes of bad cricket” which left India 5 for 3 in the chase and on course for elimination.

“The challenge and the different kind of fun of these games is that you have to be absolutely precise,” he said. 

“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before that. It’s a fresh day, a fresh start and if you’re not good enough, you go home.

“You have to accept that. It’s a different challenge for all the teams to turn up on that day and be absolutely at the top of the game.”

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