SYDNEY: India captain Virat Kohli on Sunday said winning the T20 series against Australia without established players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah meant a great deal to him and lavished praise on the marauding Hardik Pandya’s “raw talent”.
Pandya struck an unbeaten 22-ball 42 to take India home with six wickets in hands in the second T20 International and help the visitors take a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match rubber here.
“Yeah meant a great deal. We’ve played as a team in T20 cricket. The fact that we don’t have Rohit and Bumrah, our established white ball players, in and still doing well makes me happy and I am very proud of this team,” Kohli said after the win.
While Rohit has missed the series because of a hamstring injury he suffered during this year’s IPL, Bumrah has been rested from the T20 matches keeping in mind the upcoming four-Test series against Australia.
The India skipper believes that with his raw talent, Pandya, who earned the man-of-the-match award for his batting, can become a bankable player for the team in years to come.
“The reason for him (Hardik) coming into the team in 2016 was pure ability. He has raw talent. And now he realises that this is his time, the next 4-5 years, to be that bankable player that can win you games from anywhere. His plans are right and I’m glad to see that,” Kohli said. (AGENCIES)
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