'I'd have taken a bullet for you but not have...': Hardik Pandya tells Virat Kohli after duo's MCG heroics

India were tottering at 31 for 4, in pursuit of 160, in their T20 World Cup opener versus Pakistan at the MCG, Melbourne on Sunday (October 23). After opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue restricted Pakistan to 159-8 but found them way behind at the halfway mark, with 115 to get off 60 balls.

Nonetheless, Virat Kohli was joined by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who instilled a lot of belief in their 113-run fifth-wicket partnership and played the aggressor's role. While Hardik did slow down a bit towards the end overs, Kohli took the mantle and pressed the accelerator with his timely and unbelievable strokes, taking on Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, etc., to take India past the finish line in a thrilling last-over run-chase.

Hardik was dismissed for 40 (37) but Kohli kept his cool and ended the run-chase for India, with R Ashwin hitting the winning shot on the final ball of the contest. After the riveting encounter, at the MCG, Melbourne, Kohli and Hardik got together and relived their match-winning stand.

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"I would have taken a bullet for you at that point of time, but I would not have let you get out. My goal was simple, whatever I can do to make your life easier, I'll do it. You have done it so many times and no one is better at handling pressure than you," said Hardik in a video posted by BCCI.

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Hardik also lauded King Kohli for his two amazing hits in the penultimate over, off Rauf, as he brought down the equation from 28 off 8 balls to 16 needed off the final over. In this regard, hesaid, "Those two shots played by Virat Kohli, just because I know how important those two shots were, if you had missed even shot, still they were running ahead with the game. I have hit a lot of sixes, but those two sixes were really really special. What it meant for both of us, we actually were so pumped. Those two shots, I told him that I have played so much cricket but I do not think anyone could have played those two shots except Mr. Kohli."

India will now meet the Netherlands, who lost to Bangladesh by nine runs in their Super 12 opener on Monday (October 24), on Thursday (October 27) at the SCG, Sydney.