India skipper Virat Kohli is hoping that the recent controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya will help the all-rounder emerge as a better cricketer.
Pandya caused a flutter with his controversial remarks on a television show recently following which he was suspended with immediate effect by the BCCI and the Committee of Administrators (CoA).
The all-rounder was sent back home from the tour of Australia along with KL Rahul with an inquiry opened against the duo. It was only a few days ago that the BCCI provisionally lifted the players’ suspensions and made them available for selection again.
Following the lifting of the suspension, Pandya flew straight to New Zealand to join the India squad and picked up two wickets on his return in the third ODI to help the visitors clinch the five-match series with an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Speaking after India’s seven-wicket win at Mount Maunganui, Kohli hoped the controversy will do Pandya a world of good and help him scale new heights.
“In life, there are only two ways to deal with a situation like that. Either you hit rock bottom or you can learn from the situation and see it as a motivation to make things right,” Kohli was quoted as saying by the Hindu.
“For a cricketer, there is nothing more dear than game. You put all your energy in the game, if you respect the game, the game will respect you back. There is no rocket science,” he added.
Pandya picked up two wickets on his return to the ODI side.
Kohli had condemned the comments made by the two players prior to the start of the ODI series against Australia but he has urged the duo to keep a positive attitude amidst the controversy.
“You don’t need do anything extra (in a situation like Pandya’s). Whoever comes out of it positive, his career can scale new heights, like we have seen with many cricketers in the past,” he said.
“I hope he (Pandya) goes on that right path and emerges as a better cricketer and I think he can do that.”
Kohli’s involvement in the ODI series came to an end with Monday’s clash with the India skipper now set to return home for a well deserved break from international cricket. Pandya, meanwhile, will be a part of the squad for the two remaining ODIs.
The fourth ODI between the two sides takes place at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday.
