# Wasim Jaffer picks Rishabh Pant over MS Dhoni in Asian Test XI 2026-08-24T14:27:30+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has selected Rishabh Pant ahead of MS Dhoni as the wicketkeeper in his Asian Test XI, with Imran Khan as captain and Sachin Tendulkar as vice-captain. Jaffer made the remarks on his YouTube channel. He said Pant's superior red-ball record, including centuries in Australia, South Africa and England, gave him the edge over Dhoni, who never scored a Test century in a SENA country. Jaffer also backed an appeal by 22 former international captains to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking proper medical treatment for Imran Khan, who is currently in prison. Times Now reports Jaffer highlighted Pant's 3662 runs in 51 Tests against Dhoni's 4876 in 90 Tests. NDTV Sports reports Jaffer praised Imran as a visionary leader and recalled visiting his cancer hospital in 2006. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both outlets report Jaffer's selection identically, but NDTV Sports devotes significant space to Imran Khan's current imprisonment and health concerns, while Times Now focuses purely on the cricketing statistics. The contrast reveals NDTV framing the story as a political-cricket crossover, whereas Times Now keeps it a straight sports debate. A balanced reading notes Jaffer's selection is a cricketing opinion, not a judgment on Imran's political legacy. The next step is whether Dhoni responds or fans debate on social media. The next step is whether Dhoni responds or fans debate on social media. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Leads with Jaffer's selection, focuses purely on cricket stats and comparisons. - sports.ndtv.com (neutral report) Reports same selection but adds substantial context on Imran's prison and health appeal. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-24T15:11:09+00:00. Tags: Imran Khan, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Jaffer Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/wasim-jaffer-picks-rishabh-pant-over-ms-dhoni-in-asian-test-xi/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/wasim-jaffer-picks-rishabh-pant-over-ms-dhoni-in-asian-test-xi/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/