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Former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan asked the Indian team management to consider Rajat Patidar for the team as the 2027 ODI World Cup approaches, and the team has begun preparations.
Irfan Pathan proposed Patidar’s name mostly to balance the right-hand-left-hand batting combination in the playing eleven. With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing eleven, India played with six out of India's top seven batters 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
As an excessive number of left-handed batters could destabilize the batting order, Irfan Pathan backed Patidar. Last night in Manchester, captain Shreyas Iyer was the only right-handed batter in the top seven batting order.
Sanju Samson, who played the first match of the series, is a right-handed batter, but was dropped from the playing combination because of his poor form. Vaibhav Sooryavanhi, the 15-year-old batting sensation who replaced Sanju Samson, is also a southpaw.
“Looking at the number of left-hand batters in the Indian T20 team right now, it’s even more of a reason for Team India to look at Rajat Patidar going forward,” Irfan Pathan said in his ‘X’ post on July 4.
Rajat Patidar's fiery batting helped RCB to defend their title in IPL 2026
Patidar did extremely well in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and in the domestic tournaments before the beginning of IPL 2026. His batting numbers are enough to provide a hint about the form the 33-year-old middle-order batter displayed in the recent past.
The captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who helped the team to claim their maiden trophy in 2025, helped 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 the course, the right-hander registered five half-centuries, supported by a total of 42 sixes and 30 fours. Overall, in 113 T20s, Rajat Patidar currently has 3,389 runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.08.
“I really hope he gets an opportunity, especially since there is still plenty of time for Team India to experiment before the next T20 World Cup,” Irfan Pathan added in the same post.
Looking at the number of left-hand batters in the Indian T20 team right now, it’s even more of a reason for Team India to look at Rajat Patidar going forward.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 4, 2026
I really hope he gets an opportunity, especially since there is still plenty of time for Team India to experiment before…
Will BCCI consider Rajat Patidar as a serious contender?
Rajat Patidar deserves to be in contention to be named in the national team squad due to his brilliant form in recent times. But will the selectors count his name as a contender given his age, which is well over thirty, and so many young talents are knocking on the selectors’ door as potent candidates? The question remains.
In the ongoing UK tour, by giving a chance to emerging talents like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravi Bishnoi, and Suryanash Shedge, it is clear that the team management is currently leaning towards those cricketers who can serve the team for a long time if the perfrom according to their true potential.
