Bumrah as Goalkeeper? Pant as LB? Cricket Experts Reimagine Indian Team as Footballers

Cricket pundits Michael Vaughan, Ravi Shastri, and others playfully assembled a theoretical football team composed of Indian cricketers during a podcast. 

During a recent podcast episode of Stick to Cricket, cricket experts Michael Vaughan, Ravi Shastri, Phil Tufnell, Alastair Cook, and David Lloyd took a playful detour and assembled a Football XI featuring Indian cricket team members, blending banter with creative footballing analogies.

Goalkeeper Debate

Michael Vaughan insisted a top goalkeeper needs both height and reach, quipping that Rishabh Pant was "too small" for the position. Instead, Vaughan nominated Jasprit Bumrah as their goalkeeper, citing his physical suitability for the role.

Defensive and Midfield Selections

Left Back: Rishabh Pant was repositioned as the left back, described as “a little like Luke Shaw—cocky and confident,” according to Vaughan.

Right Back: Ravi Shastri identified Nitish Kumar Reddy as the optimal choice, praising his defensive qualities, though noting Reddy’s recent injury and return to India.

Left Wing: Ravindra Jadeja was placed on left wing, his versatility suiting the demands of that position.

Centre Halves: Mohammed Siraj emerged as a candidate for one of the central defensive roles.

Holding Midfielder: There was consensus for KL Rahul, with Vaughan likening him to Michael Carrick—visionary, technical, and tactically astute.

Forward Roles and Flair Positions

No. 10 Role: Vaughan playfully likened Yashasvi Jaiswal to Lionel Messi in both skill and ability to be a “nuisance” for opponents.

Centre Forward/Defender Hybrid: Shubman Gill was described by Lloyd as straddling the line between a wiry centre forward and a defender à la Matthijs de Ligt.

Wingers & Special Mentions

Right Midfield/Beckham Role: David Lloyd humorously appointed Gautam Gambhir to replicate David Beckham’s signature curlers from the right flank, a suggestion that drew laughter.

Left Midfield: For pure amusement, Lloyd placed Morne Morkel (India’s bowling coach) on the left side of midfield, branding him the “worst footballer” he’d observed, yet acknowledging Morkel’s effectiveness with the ball against England in cricket.

Football Passions Beyond the Pitch

The discussion also touched on how engrossed the Indian squad has become with Premiership football, as underscored by their visit to Manchester United’s ground ahead of the fourth Test. Shastri highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, is quite the football enthusiast, although his favorite club remains a mystery.