Virat Kohli has advised Hardik Pandya to work on his merit and not get carried away. The Indian skipper has also suggested that the all-rounder has what it takes to be a number-one cricketer in the world and has asked him to be consistent on his approach and not belittle anyone to reach the pinnacle.
“Just two days ago, I was speaking to Virat. I asked him ‘what is the reason for your success?” Pandya is quoted as saying by Sports Tak.
“He replied back ‘your attitude is fine, everything is fine, just you have to keep one thing in mind to reach and have that level of consistency. You should have great hunger to be the no. 1 in the right way. Not by pushing anyone down. By your own hard work and on your own merit, to become the no. 1 should be your goal’,” Pandya said.
Pandya made his international debut under M.S. Dhoni and his Test debut under Virat Kohli. He also plays for Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
“Now I know how why Virat is so consistent. Players like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni — they don’t like being at no. 2. At the same time, if these players come 2nd, they don’t mind that either.
“They want to be no. 1, but their greatness is such that if they come at 2nd place, they have no problems. They will re-start the process of hardwork to be the no.1,” the all-rounder said.
“You have strive to be the best. If you’re a bowler, you have to be the best. If you’re training, then you have to be eager to train. In life, you need to compete with yourself,” Pandya said.
The 26-year-old has already played 11 Tests for India where he has made 532 runs and taken 17 wickets. Pandya has scored one century and four 50s, while with the ball he has one five-wicket haul under his name.
In limited-overs cricket, the right-handed all-rounder has 957 and 310 runs in 54 ODIs and 40 T20Is respectively. He has four half-centuries in ODI and bats at a strike rate of above 147 in the shortest format. His bowling numbers include 54 wickets in the 50-overs game and 38 in T20Is.