'He Had Some Pointers Which Really Helped Me' Hardik Pandya Credits Virat Kohli for Impressive Show With the Bat in IND vs WI 3rd ODI 2023
Pandya further supported the team management's decision to rest Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for two consecutive matches, emphasizing the significance of providing younger players with valuable opportunities and exposure.
India's stand-in captain Hardik Pandya attributed his impressive performance in the third and final ODI against the West Indies to the valuable batting inputs he received from former skipper Virat Kohli. After being dismissed for 5 and 7 in the first two ODIs against West Indies, Pandya made a remarkable comeback in the decider, unleashing his true potential with an unbeaten 70 off 52 balls, four fours and five sixes to lift India to 351/5. The bowlers then did their job, as India bundled out the hosts for 151 in 35.3 overs to seal the series 2-1. MS Dhoni Sports Cool Shades; CSK Captain's Latest Picture from His Hometown Ranchi Goes Viral
"I had a very wonderful chat with Virat a couple of days back, and the kind of input he gave me, he has seen me throughout the years. It's been almost seven or eight years of international cricket and he has seen me from day one. He had some pointers which really helped me," Pandya said at the post-match presentation.
Hardik Pandya Credits Virat Kohli
When asked what suggestion the seasoned batter gave him, Pandya said: "He (Virat) just wanted me to spend some time on the crease and get used to the 50 or game as well because we have played so many T20 formats and yeah, that kind of stayed in my mind and I was just waiting for the opportunity. I'm really thankful to him as well to kind of share that experience with me,"
Pandya further supported the team management's decision to rest Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for two consecutive matches, emphasizing the significance of providing younger players with valuable opportunities and exposure. 'Don’t Want Luxury…Time for West Indies Cricket To Take Note’ Hardik Pandya Left Unhappy With Arrangements Made for Indian Team
"Virat and Rohit are a very integral part of the team. And, you know, obviously, this was very important for someone like Rutu to get a game or Axar to get a game because they've been playing cricket for so many years, they know how exactly all these situations have been. So kind of giving them the youngsters exposure and kind of making sure that if we want to check something, we have the opportunity to do it,” he said.
After clinching the ODI series, India will now take on West Indies in five T20Is, starting from August 3.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2023 12:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).