"Sajid Khan can be a villain" - Former Pakistan cricketer picks Indian and Pakistani players for movie roles

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali recently opened up about Indian and Pakistani players who can act in the movies. The 54-year-old reckoned that batters Shubman Gill and Shivam Dube could act in the film industry owing to their dashing looks. He also picked Pakistan's fast bowler Naseem Shah in the same category.

Ali added that Pakistani spinner Sajid Khan could be considered for the role of a villain owing to his animated celebrations, which came to the fore during the England tour of Pakistan last year. The spinner seemingly gives the same vibes as villains like Shakti Kapoor and Amrish Puri.

Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel:

"31:20 – Which cricketers fit in movies? Gill and Dube is also there. And Naseem Shah for Pakistan. Sajid Khan can be a villain."

Gill is one of the sought-after faces among cricketers for advertising in India. The Punjab batter enjoys a following of 14.9 million alone on Instagram.

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"Make it happen" - Bollywood actress Pragya Jaiswal wants to date India cricketer Shubman Gill

Bollywood actress Pragya Jaiswal, in a recent interview, said that she wants to date Shubman Gill. She said (via News 18):

"He’s cute, yeah, guys. Come on, whatever you all want, I’m single. Make it happen."

“If it’s written, if it’s meant to be, it can be. I mean, I’ve never had a thing of for or against a cricketer. If it’s a nice person and we get along well, why not?," she added.

Pragya was seen in the 2024 Bollywood movie 'Khel Khel Mein' alongside Akshay Kumar, Aditya Seal, Fardeen Khan, Vaani Kapoor, and Taapsee Pannu.

As far as acting is concerned, former India cricketers Irfan Pathan (Cobra in 2022) and Harbhajan Singh (Friendship and Dikkiloona in 2021) have played roles in movies. Meanwhile, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar has acted in his biopic 'A Billion Dreams'. Former India captain Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, S Sreesanth, and Vinod Kambli have also acted in Bollywood movies.