Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali shared his views on the controversy surrounding the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Kal Rahul and Dhruv Gurel in line as main and backup options.
Basit Ali believes Rishabh Pant's skill set puts him ahead of Rahul in the upcoming prestigious tournament. He said that Rishabh Pant should be India's first choice and Sanju Samson will be the second choice, making it difficult for KL Rahul to secure a place in India's squad as a first-choice keeper.
Basit Ali picks Rishabh Pant over KL Rahul as India's first-choice wicket-keeper-batsman for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
Rishabh Pant may not have played many ODI matches since returning to action after a horrific car accident, but his superior wicket-keeping ability and explosive batting, coupled with his past performances, make him the favorite for India's first wicket-keeper-batsman in the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson has also emerged as a strong contender for the role after his explosive performance as an opener in T20I cricket. After Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is, Samson grabbed the opportunity with both hands as an opener, becoming the first player to score three centuries in a calendar year in T20I cricket.
Rishabh Pant should be the first choice,” Basit Ali said at the ICC event. Sanju Samson would be the second choice. I think it will be difficult for KL Rahul.
Players don't have ground fitness like him: Basit Ali praises Virat Kohli's fitness
Talking about the fittest player in the Indian cricket team, former Pakistan national team lauded Virat Kohli for being the fittest Indian cricketer. He pointed out that Virat Kohli's fitness level is even higher than youngsters like Yashavi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
He stated that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have potential, but they do not match Virat Kohli's ground fitness, and also highlighted the former India captain's ability to run around the ground, such as slides, cover, middle and deep, thanks to his higher level of physical fitness.
Basit pointed out, “Virat Kohli has great physical fitness. Yashavi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are there, but they are not top-class players. The players do not have ground fitness like Virat. Such as running on the ground, or screaming from slips, cover, middle, or deep, from the four sides of the ground.
Basit Ali says Jasprit Bumrah is the best ever ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
Moreover, Basit Ali also praised Jasprit Bumrah, saying that no player in the Indian team currently is at the same level as him. He also pointed out that only Mohammed Shami has the ability to match Bumrah's skill on the ball, but only if he is fully fit.
Basit concluded by saying: “Jasprit Bumrah is the best ever. She takes the names Shami, Arshdeep and Siraj. No one is close to him. If someone gets a little closer, it's the Shami too, if he's decent.”
However, there are dark clouds hanging over the readiness of both Bumrah and Shami for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to their fitness. Besides the duo, India are also sweating over Kuldeep Yadav's fitness, as they are yet to announce the team that will participate in the upcoming tournament.
