Team India captain Virat Kohli talked about the need for a sixth bowler before the ongoing match against New Zealand t20 world cup UAE and Oman. The two legends will face each other in their second Super 12 match in Dubai on Sunday. After losing their opening game to Pakistan, it becomes a do or die fight for both the teams.
On the eve of the New Zealand clash, Kohli gave an update on Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness. Addressing the pre-match press conference on Saturday, the Indian skipper said that the Baroda all-rounder will have to regain his fitness to bowl an over or two against the Black Caps.
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“It is very important to have the sixth bowling option – whether through me or through Hardik (Pandya). He has to be fit to be able to bowl an over or two,” Kohli said on the eve of New Zealand’s game.
According to Kohli, it would be the game conditions that would require him to have an extra bowler, which has been a curse for India for the past one year as Pandya is not half-effective after his lower back surgery.
“The conditions of the game decide when to use your sixth bowling option. In our last match, if they (Pakistan) had batted first, I could have bowled an over or two. But in the second innings when we needed wickets, we had to bowl to our first bowlers. It’s not like a team with six-seven bowling options doesn’t lose,” said the captain.
Kohli confirmed that Pandya was ‘fine’ as far as the shoulder injury is concerned, but also hinted that Shardul Thakur is still not in plans to play eleven but may do so in the future.
Kohli said, ‘Hardik is absolutely fine, if you are talking about his shoulder injury, then Shardul was also in his ‘plan’.
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On Shardul, Kohli said: “He (Shardul) is definitely someone who is in our plans, constantly making a case for himself. He is definitely someone who can bring a lot of value to the team.”
“What role does he play or where does he fit in, that’s something I can’t talk about clearly right now. But yes, Shardul is someone who has a lot of potential and he will be very important to the team.
(with PTI inputs)
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