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Team India’s former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has asked the Indian team management to include Rajat Patidar in the team as the 2027 ODI World Cup approaches and the team has also started preparations.
Irfan Pathan proposed Patidar’s name to balance the right-left-handed batting combination in the playing eleven. With Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the playing eleven, India played six of India’s top seven batsmen in the second T20I of the ongoing series against England at the Old Trafford Cricket Stadium.
Irfan Pathan bats for Rajat Patidar amid India vs England T20I series
Since an excessive number of left-handed batsmen can destabilize the batting order, Irfan Pathan favored Patidar. Captain Shreyas Iyer was the only right-handed batsman in the top seven batting order in Manchester last night.
Sanju Samson, who played the first match of the series, is a right-handed batsman, but due to poor form, he was dropped from the playing combination. Vaibhav Suryavani, the 15-year-old batting sensation who replaced Sanju Samson, is also a southpaw.
“Given the number of left-handed batsmen in the Indian T20 squad right now, it’s all the more reason for Team India to consider promoting Rajat Patidar,” Irfan Pathan said in his ‘X’ post on July 4.
RCB was successful in defending its title in IPL 2026 on the basis of Rajat Patidar’s explosive batting.
Patidar had performed very well in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and in the domestic tournament before the start of IPL 2026. His batting numbers are enough to indicate how the 33-year-old middle-order batsman has performed in recent times.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain, who helped the team win its first trophy in 2025, will help the team defend the hard-earned trophy in 2026. During the IPL 2026 season, the RCB captain scored 501 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69.
During this period, the right-handed batsman recorded five half-centuries with the help of a total of 42 sixes and 30 fours. Overall, in 113 T20Is, Rajat Patidar currently has 3,389 runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.08.
“I really hope he gets a chance, especially since Team India still has a lot of time to experiment before the next T20 World Cup,” Irfan Pathan said in the same post.
Considering the number of left-handed batsmen in the Indian T20 team right now, this is a big reason for Team India to pursue Rajat Patidar.
I really hope he gets a chance, especially because Team India still has a lot of time to experiment…
– Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 4, 2026
Will BCCI consider Rajat Patidar as a serious contender?
Rajat Patidar deserves to be in the race to be included in the national team due to his excellent form in recent times. But will the selectors count his name as a contender, considering he is over thirty, and with so many young talents knocking at the selectors’ doors as powerful candidates? The question remains.
By giving opportunities to emerging talents like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ravi Bishnoi and Suryanash Shedge in the current UK tour, it is clear that the inclination of the team management is currently towards those cricketers who can serve the team for a long time if they perform as per their true potential.
