"He didn't score for a couple of months and people started saying certain things" - Hardik Pandya talks about Virat Kohli's T20 World Cup 2022 campaign

Hardik Pandya recently addressed Virat Kohli's return to form in T20 World Cup 2022. The star Indian batter is the number-one run-getter in the tournament so far with 246 runs to his name.

Ahead of the mega-event, some fans and cricket experts questioned Virat Kohli's place in the team because of his dip in form. Kohli had struggled to score runs for some time but the team management always backed him.

Speaking with the host broadcaster ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final against England, Hardik Pandya shared his views on Virat's form and said:

"Sometimes, I feel that either we are not batting well or they (Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav) are just on a different planet. Especially Surya. Virat, we have seen him do it for years together.

"He didn't score for a couple of months and people started saying certain things. But somewhere down the line, we all knew the cricketer he is."

Suryakumar Yadav is in the form of his life. He is the third-highest run-scorer in the competition with 225 runs to his name. Speaking about his consistency, Hardik added:

"Talking about Surya, I think in life, he has got the opportunity to play international cricket late. I think he should have played two years earlier than when he made his debut. But God is very kind and he's making up for what he could have done in those two years."

"Calmness does not come by mental strength" - Hardik Pandya shares his success mantra

2022 has been the best year of Hardik Pandya's career. He won IPL 2022 as Gujarat Titans' captain and became the top white-ball all-rounder in white cricket. When asked about how he has been able to remain calm in crunch moments, Pandya answered:

"A lot of people keep asking how do you keep yourself calm in difficult situations. I think somewhere down the line, it depends on preparations. The calmness does not come by mental strength or anything.

"You just prepare well and tick all the boxes, and you are confident about your skillset, and you know that if the time comes, you will be able to perform."

It will be exciting to see if Pandya can guide the Indian team to the final of the T20 World Cup 2022.