Urooj Niazi 
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has endorsed Rishabh Pant as India’s future captain, particularly for the 2025 Champions Trophy. On his YouTube channel, the 54-year-old veteran of the game has opined that Pant, instead of the present vice-captain Shubman Gill, should be made to lead the Indian cricket team as he would make the responsibility shine through in his personal performance.
Ali stressed on having two specialist left-handers in India’s lineup, namely both Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal. While Gill was placed behind Jaiswal, who, according to Ali, did extremely well both technically and from a general batting standpoint. Pakistani ex-cricketer is also a little worried for KL Rahul due to his not really being an innings-changer.
This left-handed veteran batsman concluded with a word of caution that unless both left-handers are back in the eleven, India will be shortchanged at the Champions Trophy, mainly at their not-so-favorite Dubai ground.
He drove it home by stressing that it is going to become nearly impossible to reach the final of the event without these two specialists.
