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Indian T20I captain Virat Kohli in a media interaction ahead of the big clash against Pakistan on October 24, gave an update on Hardik Pandya’s fitness and whether the lanky star all-rounder will bowl in the marquee event or play solely as a finisher.
Pandya is getting closer to full fitness and will be able to bowl at some stage during the tournament, confirmed Kohli ahead of the mother of all the matches. “Hardik Pandya getting to the stage where he can bowl couple of overs at some stage in the T20 World Cup. What he brings at No.6 as a batter is something we can’t create overnight. Have backed him always there as a batter. We know the value he brings in, he is a specialist at doing that, can play an impact innings. Way more valuable than forcing him to do something he is not ready for,” Kohli said.
India will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday and the records are tilted in India’s favour with 12-0 record in the World Cup events, including seven wins in the 50-overs World Cup and five wins at the T20 World Cup. However, Kohli said the past records act as “distraction” and the team doesn’t believe in discussing them ahead of the big game.
“We have never discussed about records against Pakistan since all this causes a lot of distraction. All that matters is the preparation and how you play on the given day. Pakistan are a strong team, we need to come up with a strong plan and execute it well,” Kohli added.
The Indian captain also refused to reveal India’s playing combination and kept the cards close to his chest. “Not going to reveal combinations, but we have a balanced team. It comes down to execution on the field, and understanding roles, we are well prepared,” India's top-ranked T20I batter said.
The 32-year-old also talked about the quality of the pitches and the dew factor in the tournament saying, “I believe the quality of pitches is going to be better in the World Cup, dew factor will be there."
