Why is Rajat Patidar not part of India's T20I squads including Asian Games 2026?
Rajat Patidar is a two-time IPL winning captain.
BCCI announced India‘s squad for the forthcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games 2026, on Saturday, June 6.
Shreyas Iyer has been named the new captain of India’s T20I team, with Tilak Verma serving as his deputy. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made headlines as the youngest player ever to be picked in the Indian team. Moreover, Harshit Rana eyes a comeback after an injury layoff.
The rest of the squad looks solid with the T20 mainstays Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. However, many fans have questioned the exclusion of Rajat Patidar. Under his captaincy, RCB won two consecutive IPL titles.
Why is Rajat Patidar not part of India’s T20I setup?
On May 31, 2026, Rajat Patidar became the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to win two consecutive IPL titles. Under Patidar’s captaincy, RCB won their first trophy in 2025 after a long wait.
He scored more than 500 runs at a strike rate of 192 in IPL 2026. His captaincy and leadership gained a lot of appreciation. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25, Patidar amassed 428 runs in just 9 innings at a staggering strike rate of 186.
When asked about the exclusion of Rajat Patidar, Ajit Agarkar said that they can select only 15 members and it is a luxury to have so many options on the table. When asked if he was considered for T20Is, Agarkar said that a group of players is always discussed and after that, the most suitable ones are selected as per the conditions and format.
It was speculated that Rajat Patidar will replace Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Tri-nation A series if the latter gets picked for the Afghanistan ODIs. However, Agarkar cleared the air by naming Yashasvi Jaiswal as the replacement of injured Virat Kohli for the Afghanistan ODIs.
Who is the new T20I captain of India?
Shreyas Iyer is the new T20I captain of India.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.