Hardik Pandya might have played just eight ODIs but he has already gained the respect and support of Indian captain Virat Kohli. India’s search for that elusive seam bowling all-rounder that will provide balance to the side looks to have come to an end with the arrival of Pandya.
The 23-year-old all-rounder might not have established himself in the international circuit just yet but he has already shown enough glimpses of his talent for the India skipper to not only label him as a “real asset to Indian cricket” but also predict that he can go down as “one of the most accomplished Indian cricketers” in the years to come.
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Virat Kohli reveals why Hardik Pandya was promoted ahead of MS Dhoni
Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 clash against Sri Lanka, Kohli was speaking at the pre-match press conference and his admiration for the all-rounder was evident in his words of praise for Pandya.
In the opening game of the tournament against Pakistan, he made the most of his promotion ahead of MS Dhoni by scoring a 6-ball 20 and also picking up 2/43 with the ball. His impressive performances have even prompted the 28-year-old to predict that he could go down as one of the most accomplished Indian cricketers in the foreseeable future.
“As I said, he is an asset to Indian cricket and people should appreciate his skill and what he brings to the table. He has his own journey and is finding his own way and if he gets the kind of support that a player like him should get, I think he can go down as one of the most accomplished Indian cricketers in times to come. Because he is a fit guy, superb in the field, superb with the ball, brilliant with the bat. Very hard to find a guy like that and the kind of balance he brings to the team is priceless. That was on display the other day.”
Kohli heaps praise on Pandya’s flexibility
The 28-year-old is particularly pleased with the fact that Pandya is more than just a one-dimensional all-rounder. He was effusive in his praise of the 23-year-old’s ability to do a lot of different things.
“He is a real asset to Indian cricket. It is very hard to find a guy who can almost touch 140 kmph and who strikes the way he strikes the ball. He can bat through the innings as well, which we saw in the practice game (against Bangladesh he scored an unbeaten 80). If you give him 16-17 overs to bat, he can do that job for you as well. He has played a few good innings in the first-class circuit as well, seeing off the new ball in testing conditions,” the Indian captain said.
Ever since the sudden emergence of Irfan Pathan and even more sudden disappearance from the international circuit, India have yearned for a seam-bowling all-rounder and Kohli believes that Pandya is of that ilk and finding someone like him is "very hard”.
“I mean it’s very hard to find to find people with that kind of ability and once you have a player like that, you need to make sure that he is always committed, always motivated to give his 100% for the game and that comes naturally to Hardik, so you don’t need to motivate him any further,” he added.
