5 IPL 2026 stars over 30 who deserve India T20I spot, ft Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar

Along with the youngsters, there are some experienced players as well, who are proving the widely used phrase that age is just a number, class is permanent. Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar are among the players who are over 30, but have been playing an exciting brand of cricket from the beginning of the IPL 2026 for their respective franchises.

Along with Iyer and Patidar, there are three other experienced cricketers as well, who deserve to be in the Indian national camp for the T20 International format. Who are the other three players, who are over 30 but have the potential to play a significant role for Team India? Let's find out.

List of 5 IPL 2026 stars over 30 who deserve an India T20I spot:

1. Shreyas Iyer

The 31-year-old batter has all the credentials to play for India in the shortest format of the game. Iyer, who guided the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 Indian Premier League triumph and captained the Punjab Kings to qualify in the finals of the IPL 2025 season, has cemented himself as a star captain in the franchise league. He not only helped the team with his grey matter, but equally masters in middle-order batting. In the ongoing Indian Premier League season, the Punjab Kings skipper has already registered a couple of half-centuries in four matches.

2. Rajat Patidar

Another Indian cricketer who needs no introduction. The 32-year-old, who broke the 18-year-old jinx and led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to claim their maiden IPL title, should be in the T20I camp. Rajat Patidar is a proven batter in the domestic season, where he showed his temperament and batting skills again and again. In the ongoing league, the middle-order batter has been performing in a more fiery way. The skipper of RCB has scored 31, 48*, 63, and 53 runs so far against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians, respectively.

3. Krunal Pandya

Another player from the RCB set-up who proved himself again and again. Whenever the captain Rajat Patidar needs wickets in crucial situations, he is handed over the ball to the experienced spinner. The 35-year-old spinner, who featured in ODIs and T20Is for the team, deserves to get another stint with the Men in Blue brigade. In the IPL 2025 season, Krunal plucked 17 wickets in 15 matches for an economy rate of 8.23, including the brace in the final with an economy rate of 4.25. In the ongoing season, he has 5 wickets in 4 matches so far.

4. Prasidh Krishna

Critics might have gone against the 30-year-old pacer for conceding too many runs in multiple matches for Team India, but there is no denying that Prasidh Krishna is a wicket-taking machine in the Indian Premier League. The winner of the Purple Cap in the IPL 2025 season has been going strong in the ongoing season to keep the individual title intact with him. The Gujarat Titans pacer has already claimed 10 wickets in 4 matches with an economy rate of 9.50.

5. Mohammed Shami

The 35-year-old pacer has done everything to make a comeback in Team India for another stint. One of the finest pacers to play alongside Jasprit Bumrah in the international matches had to face extremely challenging situations because of injuries. Since making a comeback from the rehabilitation, the Bengal pacer has been in stunning form.

Shami played with consistency for the Bengal cricket team in the 2025-26 domestic tournaments, and now is firing all cylinders with the Lucknow Super Giants. Shami has taken 4 wickets in 4 IPL 2026 matches so far for an impressive economy rate of 6.25. Prolific batters like Abhishek Sharma and KL Rahul were dismissed for ducks against the lethal pacer.

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