'There's no place for Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal in Indian team': Virender Sehwag's bold claim

Former India captain Virender Sehwag has cast doubt over the future of certain in-form batters who are performing in IPL 2026.

Sehwag said that despite the players performing well in the tournament, there may not necessarily be any space for them in the Indian National team, especially in the T20I format.

In March, India became the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, showcasing the amazing quality in the team. Over the past few years, many batters have showcased the full range of their hitting prowess with good performances in the IPL, but haven't broken into India's T20I team.

Sehwag specifically talked about the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and Shreyas Iyer. All three of them have been unable to break into the Indian T20I setup despite a successful IPL.

"Where is the space in the Indian team?" - Virender Sehwag

Sehwag was speaking to Cricbuzz and was asked about a recent statement from Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik, who is currently serving as Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting coach and mentor, had said that the Indian selectors would no longer be able to ignore Devdutt Padikkal's good form in the IPL.

In IPL 2026, Padikkal has made 208 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 184 with 3 fifties. Padikkal played two T20Is for India in 2021, but hasn't been called up since.

Reacting to Karthik's statement, Virender Sehwag said, "Dinesh Karthik is saying that Padikkal should play for India, but every season players emerge who feels that they should play for India. But where is the space in the Indian team? There is no place for Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, and there are many more players. There is no place for Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal. There are five players who are scoring runs, but who will you drop for them? Where is the space?"

"Competition is too much in the Indian team" - Virender Sehwag

Sehwag went on to talk about the consequences of giving fringe players like the ones he mentioned a chance. He said that senior players could always be rested, but in a team with so much competition, that would ultimately breed insecurity.

"If a senior player is given a break, then some of these players can be given a chance. But in that team, where the competition is so tough, I would say that I don't need a break. Because if I take a break and someone else comes in my place and scores runs, then I will be left out," he added.

Also Read: 'Shreyas Iyer will go beyond MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma': Irfan Pathan’s bold captaincy prediction

Performance of players mentioned by Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag mentioned names like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, among others. In 2025, Iyer turned over a new corner in his playstyle and his leadership.

Since the start of IPL 2025, he has made 812 runs in 22 innings while averaging over 50 and striking at 177. Iyer hasn't played T20Is for India since December 2023.

Jaiswal, too, hasn't played T20Is since July 2024. Since the start of last year, Jaiswal has made 804 runs in 21 innings at an average of 44.67 and a strike rate of 158. Both will be in action on April 25.

*Stats accurate up to April 24, 2025.