Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh The Royal Challengers have openly questioned the national selectors after the Bengaluru captain. Rajat Patidar Was left out of India’s latest T20I squad despite another stellar performance. Indian Premier League campaigngave BCCI India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland, England and the Asian Games was officially announced, with several notable changes garnering attention. Shreyas Iyer has been appointed captain in place of Suryakumar Yadav, while 15-year-old batting sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi has earned his first senior India call-up. Tilak Verma has been made the vice-captain.Taking to social media soon after the squad was announced, Harbhajan expressed his disappointment at Patidar’s omission and lauded the middle-order batsman’s credentials.“No Rajat Patidar in Indian squad. What else does he need to do? Score 501 runs, strike rate around 200. Unfair 💔 @rrjjt_01 Easily India’s best middle order. Decent striker with good technique,” Harbhajan posted.
Patidar’s impressive IPL credentials
Harbhajan’s criticism is rooted in Patidar’s remarkable rise over the past two IPL seasons. The right-hander not only established himself as one of the most devastating middle-order batsmen in the tournament but also displayed strong leadership skills as a captain.Patidar guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL title in 2025, ending the franchise’s 18-year wait for silverware. He followed up this feat with another successful season in 2026, maintaining his excellent batting form to lead RCB to back-to-back titles.In IPL 2026, Patidar scored 501 runs in 15 matches while scoring around 200 runs. His fearless approach against both pace and spin made him one of the most dangerous middle-order batsmen in the competition. He also averaged 41.75 during the season and cleared the boundary rope 42 times.India Squad for Ireland vs England T20I: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dubey, Tilak Verma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakraborty, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshaddeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vibhu SoniaIndian squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (C), Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shiv Dubey, Tilak Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun C, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshaddeep Singh, Vibhu Suryavanshi, Jaspreet Bumrah
