Here is what Virat Kohli has to say ahead of semi finals clash against New Zealand

The men in blue will face New Zealand this afternoon at Old Trafford cricket ground, Experts have voiced that how playing the Kiwis could be an easier task for team India in the semi final of the World Cup 2019, but the Indian captain Virat Kohli feels that irrispective of the teams they face the pressure of expection is always there.

For team India, going into any game is full of pressure, so we have never felt like any game has been easy for us at all.

"I can't remember the last time I stepped on to the field and felt like 'It doesn't matter what happens in this game'. For the Indian team there are always full stadia and people expect you to do well, and there is always pressure, as well as opportunity. So as I said, we are well-equipped to handle those kind of situations,”

"But I think a World Cup knockout game brings that much more attention and excitement on the outside and the atmosphere is going to be very different from a bilateral series. So just to be able to soak that in and focus on what we need to do is going to be probably the only challenge that we face in terms of it being different,”

"But otherwise you have to play good cricket to win a game of cricket and that's been our focus this World Cup and I don't think we would change that because it's a knockout game, it is very important to treat it as a game of cricket and do what we are known to do," he said.

Virat Kohli said that his team is prepared to handle that pressure as they are now used to it. He also asserted that not going forward from here would be a huge dismay.

"Everyone feels disappointed when you come to a stage of a tournament like this and you don't make it through. But look, yeah, the Indian team always carries a lot of pressure and expectation wherever we play and we are quite used to that over the years to be honest,” he said

"Yeah, we are better off -- I think we are better equipped to react well in these situations because we know what these kind of games and our fan-base and the expectations brings, so I think disappointment is equal on either side. I wouldn't agree if you said New Zealand won't be disappointed if they lose. Our aim and our focus is obviously on winning and, as I said, whichever team plays better will win," he pointed out.

India have played in the semis in previous occasions and although the outcome have been different, India won in 2011 and lost in 2015. Indian skipper Kohli said that the teams first objective coming into this edition was to qualify for the semi finals.

"Very obviously, very contrasting. The win in Mohali was my first World Cup and we make it to the finals and playing at home and the whole atmosphere was brilliant so getting to experience that for me as a youngster was something magnificent. 2015, I was more of an established player and not being able to get the team across the line was obviously very disappointing for all of us,” he said.

"This time around, because the format has been different, and we understand the tournament has been long, guys have put in a lot of effort day in day out and to realise we have achieved the first goal that we wanted to which was to qualify for the semis, that gives you an extra boost of energy,”

"Now we can focus totally on the remaining two games that we have in the tournament and try to bring our A-game and take up the intensity even more,” Kohli added.

I think it is very important to realise as a team that you have achieved what you wanted to do as a first goal. And now the team can be more focused and energetic going into the semis, it gives you more energy knowing we are entering the last round of the World Cup 2019, players are not as fresh as the they were in the early stages but these kind of things motivate the players

Asked about the last minute changes in travel plans, after India toped the points table, the skipper said, "We are very happy because it was only one hour compared to three hours on the bus."

"So the boys are very happy with the change in travel and Manchester is a great city to be in also, so all the guys were very happy. The mood is great. Everyone is very relaxed, very confident.

"And look, all the teams worked hard to get to these moments and now whoever plays better on the day we know that things are as simple or as complicated as that. So, we are all looking forward to it.

"It's been a long tournament, it's been a lot of hard work, a lot of intense games, so yeah, we are really, really happy that we have made it to the semis and now there's only opportunity that lies in front of us and everyone is very excited for it," he said.