Kohli, who last played a T20 international in February, has featured in only two games since India's underwhelming campaign in the T20 World Cup in October-November when he was captain of the national side.
The only T20 cricket he played since then was in the IPL but there too he was far from his best. Read AlsoIndia vs England: My mindset doesn't take me too high, neither low, says Hardik PandyaSuccess and failure have stopped influencing star all rounder Hardik Pandya, who has learnt to live a "neutral life" with a lot of clarity.
Battling an injury-ravaged body, it was not easy for Pandya to return to the game. His career was in jeopardy but he made a grand comeback by leading Gujarat Kohli and other seniors getting frequent breaks as part of the team's rest and rotate policy gave opportunity to fringe players like Deepak Hooda, who will be difficult to drop on Saturday after the performances he has come up with.
Batting at Kohli's position, Hooda has made a big impact and also showed ominous form in the series opener against England, scoring a 17-ball 33.