Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has openly questioned the national selectors after Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar was left out of India’s latest T20I squad despite another stellar Indian Premier League campaign.The BCCI officially announced India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland, England and Asian Games, with several notable changes grabbing attention. Shreyas Iyer has been appointed captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, while 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden senior India call-up. Tilak Varma has been named vice-captain.Taking to social media shortly after the squad announcement, Harbhajan expressed his disappointment over Patidar’s omission and strongly backed the middle-order batter’s credentials.“Sad no Rajat Patidar in the Indian squad. What else he needs to do? Scored 501 runs, strike rate almost 200. Unfair 💔 @rrjjt_01 Easily the best middle order in India. Proper striker with good technique,” Harbhajan posted.
Patidar’s impressive IPL credentials
Harbhajan’s criticism is rooted in Patidar’s remarkable rise over the last two IPL seasons. The right-hander not only established himself as one of the most destructive middle-order batters in the tournament but also demonstrated strong leadership skills as captain.Patidar guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden IPL title in 2025, ending the franchise’s 18-year wait for silverware. He followed that achievement with another successful season in 2026, leading RCB for back-to-back titles while maintaining his impressive batting form.In IPL 2026, Patidar amassed 501 runs in 15 matches while striking at nearly 200. His fearless approach against both pace and spin made him one of the most dangerous middle-order batters in the competition. He also averaged 41.75 during the season and cleared the boundary ropes 42 times.India squad for Ireland and England T20Is: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.India squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (C), Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun C, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.
