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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has shared his views on India’s wicketkeeping debate for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel in line for the top picks and security maintenance.
Basit Ali believes Rishabh Pant’s skill set puts him ahead of KL Rahul for the upcoming prestigious tournament. He said that Rishabh Pant should be India’s first choice and Sanju Samson will be the second choice, which will make it difficult for KL Rahul to secure a place in the Indian team as the leading wicket-taker.
Basit Ali picks Rishabh Pant over KL Rahul as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rishabh Pant may not have played many ODIs since returning to action after his horrific car accident, but his supreme alertness and explosive batting coupled with his past performances make him the favorite to to the first choice Indian goalkeeper for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. .
On the other hand, Sanju Samson has also become a strong contender for the role after his explosive performances as an opener in T20I cricket. After Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is, Samson grabbed the opportunity with both hands as the opener, becoming the first player to score three centuries in a calendar year in T20I cricket.
Basit Ali said at the ICC event, “Rishabh Pant should be the first choice. Sanju Samson will be the second choice. I think it will be difficult for KL Rahul.”
Players are not as fit as him: Basit Ali praises Virat Kohli’s fitness
Talking about the fittest player in the Indian cricket team, the former Pakistan coach praised Virat Kohli for being the fittest Indian cricketer. He pointed out that Virat Kohli’s fitness level is higher than even youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
He mentioned that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have potential but are no match for Virat Kohli’s on-field fitness as he highlighted the former Indian captain’s ability to run the ground such as slips, cover, mid-off and depth, thanks to his supreme physical level.
Basit further noted, “Virat Kohli has great fitness. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are there, but they are not top-class players. The players are not as fit as Virat. Like running on the floor, shouting from the slips, cover, mid-off or depth, from four sides of the ground.”
Basit Ali says Jasprit Bumrah is the best of them all ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Moreover, Basit Ali also praised Jasprit Bumrah, saying that no player in the Indian team is currently at the same level as the pacer. He also noted that only Mohammed Shami has the potential to match Bumrah’s skill with the ball, but only if he is fully fit.
Basit signed off by saying, “Jasprit Bumrah is the best of them all. You take the names of Shami, Arshdeep and Siraj – there is no one close to him. If anyone comes a little bit closer, it is Shami too, if he is fit.
However, there are dark clouds over Bumrah and Shami’s availability for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to their fitness. Along with the duo, India are also sweating over the fitness of Kuldeep Yadav as they are yet to announce the squad for the upcoming tournament.
