Trophy final feels fury of 'superstar' Pandya

India allrounder Hardik Pandya has been labelled a "superstar in the making" following his thrilling Champions Trophy cameo, as captain Virat Kohli explained his enraged outburst was nothing more than an overt display of pent-up passion.

Pandya was a small bright spot in the defending Champions Trophy title-holders' thrashing at the hands of Pakistan, who claimed a 180-run victory at The Oval on Sunday.

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The 23-year-old managed to escape sanction from the International Cricket Council despite his furious reaction to a disastrous mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja.

Having arrived at the crease with India 5-54 chasing Pakistan's mammoth 338, Pandya launched a brutal counter-attack to give India some hope of retaining their Champions Trophy crown.

After smashing six towering sixes, including three consecutively off the bowling of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, Pandya departed for 76 from just 43 balls after a mix-up with his batting partner Ravindra Jadeja.

Confusion left both batsmen heading towards the striker's end, with Jadeja opting to return to protect his own wicket, leaving the rampant Pandya fuming as he stormed off the ground.

He wildly swung his bat in anger and appeared to repeatedly scream in frustration as he trudged off.

On television commentary, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was critical of Jadeja's lack of urgency between the wickets, saying he "looks a bit lazy" and describing a later incident where he'd failed to back-up far enough at the non-striker's end as "poor cricket".

Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara questioned Jadeja's role in the Pandya run-out, tweeting the Indian could have sacrificed himself to save Pandya.

After the match, captain Kohli stressed the right-hander's reaction to the dismissal was a reflection of burning passion rather than something more sinister.

"He's fine," Kohli told reporters. "Obviously everyone who plays for the country is committed to winning cricket matches for the team, and he's a very passionate, very committed cricketer.

"He felt he was in the zone today and he could have done something really special, and that's why the disappointment came out, and that's part of playing international sport.

"You're so committed, you're so motivated that when things don't happen, and without even it being a mistake, it can get frustrated. You don't understand why it has happened."

With India's attack having been pasted to all parts of The Oval, Pandya's 10-over spell was - compared to all his fellow bowlers with the exception of Bhuvneshwar Kumar - miserly as he conceded just 53 runs and chipped in with the vital scalp of Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman for 114.

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"The way he batted today and the way he bowled and the way he fielded, that's exactly why we back him, because he can be the match-winner for us in situations where the team is in trouble," Kohli continued.

"I mean, today was a bit too far-fetched because we knew one more wicket and it will keep getting tougher.

"When he was striking it well, I think he also felt and everyone in the changing room felt that if he can go on for a bit more, then things could become interesting.

"Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

Ponting, Pandya's former coach at Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians, has made no secret of his high opinion of the young Indian.

"He's ultra-talented, there's no doubt about that," Ponting told cricket.com.au in April.

"He's a very, very hard hitter of a cricket ball later in the order (in T20 cricket) and he can bowl in the mid-130s or almost 140 kilometres-an-hour.

"He's a talent, he's a bit of a showman ... and he's probably the best fielder in India as well. So he's a very complete all-round package.

"He's just a high-class allrounder. He can bat at the top in red-ball and white-ball cricket and he can open the bowling in both forms of the game."