Virat Kohli says CWC19 will be the 'most challenging' World Cup

Ten teams will fight to lift the coveted 50-over trophy, with each team set to play all the other teams once, giving them a total of nine games. The top four will advance to the semi-finals, thus ensuring that the most consistent teams are rewarded.

"[It's] certainly the most challenging World Cup, considering the format. Also, if you look at all the teams, they are really close," Kohli told the press, ahead of the team's departure for England on Tuesday, 21 May.

"Even someone like Afghanistan have made so much progress since 2015. Every game, we will have to play to the best of our potential."

India will face South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan in their first four games of the tournament. Kohli said the the quality of opposition left no room for complacency.

“The good thing is that there’s a decent gap between every game. Players won’t be burnt out. We’ll always have time to regroup. We have four tough games straight up, and that will set the tone for us. We don’t have any room for complacency, and that’s why it’s the World Cup. You have to arrive on the day match-ready. This is the challenge.”

Two years ago in England, India lost the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final to Pakistan. However, in 50-over World Cups, India are undefeated against their arch-rivals. Kohli played down the clash, and insisted their preparations for Pakistan "won’t be any different".

"If we keep focusing individually on every team, we won’t be able to focus on our campaign," he said. "Preparations won’t be any different, we have to just focus on our quality and intensity, irrespective of the opposition."

India will begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Southampton on 5 June.