Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali feels that the Indian team is incomplete without Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. Basit believes that India will need these two all-rounders in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy.
Both Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are key players for India in the white-ball formats. Both are highly skilled and experienced and can contribute in more than one aspect, which gives India a huge advantage over other teams.
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India will need all-rounders in Champions Trophy, says Basit Ali
While speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali mentioned that India will need both Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be played in February-March next year.
Ali also claimed that India needs an all-rounder in the tournament and Hardik Pandya can give a big boost to the team. However, he also added that Pandya needs to play in the domestic tournaments to prove his suitability for the ODI format.
“In the Champions Trophy (2025), India will need all-rounders. In my opinion, the Indian team will not be complete without Hardik Pandya as they need an all-rounder. Now it remains to be seen how he maintains his fitness. He needs to participate in the upcoming domestic matches,” Basit Ali said.
The former Pakistan batsman also named Ravindra Jadeja as another important player for India. Ali claimed that Jadeja has a rare skill set as he can contribute in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding. According to the cricket expert, Axar Patel will struggle on flat wickets in Pakistan.
“The second player is (Ravindra) Jadeja. The Indian team is not complete without Jadeja. He can field, bat and bowl as well. India will need a player like him. Axar (Patel) will struggle on flat pitches,” Basit said.
“So far, the Champions Trophy is likely to be held in Pakistan. Pakistani pitches are not like Sri Lankan pitches where the ball spins a lot. The pitch here is very flat. At Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), you can hit upswingers and get fours. The outfield pitch is very fast. You just have to time the ball to reach the baseline,” he added.
Hardik Pandya’s role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph
Hardik Pandya recently played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph. The all-rounder scored 144 runs in 8 matches at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.57. He played crucial knocks in the Super 8 stage as well as in the semi-final against England.
Pandya also had a great time with the ball. He picked up 11 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.64. He had some excellent moments during the group stage and also bowled the famous last over of the final to secure a thrilling victory for India.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja has been a crucial cog in India’s ODI plans. Axar Patel has gained more importance recently, but Jadeja’s skills on the field make him difficult to ignore.
