Pandya was awarded the Man of the Series for scoring 90 and 92 in the first and third ODI, respectively, and a 42 no-out knock out on 22 balls in the second T20I, helping India seal the T20 series.
When asked if he would be tempted to keep Pandya behind as a pure hitting option for the next four-round series, Kohli answered in the negative.
“Hardik couldn’t pitch and we knew he couldn’t, but we saw in the IPL the headspace that has been. But test cricket is a different challenge and we need it to play, “Kohli said clearly about priorities.
“We’ve talked about it. He’s a guy that brings a lot of balance for us in overseas conditions like South Africa, England. We were able to compete for longer periods of time and he adds a lot of balance in terms of his bowling.”
Kohli believes that Pandya is entering the zone where he would like to perform in all formats of the game.
“He’s definitely in a zone where he wants to perform for India in all three disciplines. That has always been his ‘X factor’. In white ball cricket, we find someone who can finish games consistently,” said the captain.
But according to him, even Pandya realizes that he needs to go back to bowling peak form.
“He wants to get back into the bowling space himself and make sure he’s available at Trials because it gets so much more important for five days, that little extra.
“He understands that he has to get back as fit as he can,” he added.
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