Team India suffered a defeat in the second T20 against England, and soon after, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan put forward a striking suggestion for the selectors. Pathan believes the Indian T20 side now has far too many left handed batters, and to fix that imbalance, the aggressive right handed batter Rajat Patidar deserves a place in the team. Patidar had torn into bowling attacks during IPL 2026 with a blistering strike rate of 192.69 and played a key role in guiding RCB to the title, yet he was overlooked for the tours of Ireland and England.
Pathan's case for a right handed batter
Speaking on the issue, Irfan Pathan said the current Indian T20 team has too many left handed batters, and to balance the combination, a right handed batter like Rajat Patidar is needed. He added that Team India will get the chance to try out several combinations before the next T20 World Cup, and that this is exactly the right time for Patidar to be tested at the international level. His remarks directly question the current shape of the team's batting structure.
The batting order looked lopsided against England
In the second T20 played in Manchester, India's top order was almost entirely made up of left handed batters. Fifteen year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his debut in that match, coming in for the right handed Sanju Samson. After him, three left handers in a row, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, walked out at the top of the order. The middle order duties were handled by Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel, who are also left handers. Captain Shreyas Iyer ended up being the only right hander in the entire top seven. Pathan feels that such a heavily left handed batting order makes it easier for opposition teams to plan their strategy in major tournaments, since both the bowling and the field placements can stay geared one way.
Patidar's explosive IPL 2026 season
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar delivered the finest season of his career in IPL 2026. He scored 501 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69. Across the season he hit 42 sixes and 30 fours, and also struck five half centuries. His aggressive batting was central to RCB winning the IPL title for the second season in a row, a feat now counted among the biggest achievements of his career.
A strong record across T20 cricket
Rajat Patidar's explosive form is not limited to IPL 2026 alone. He has scored 3389 runs in 113 T20 matches so far, with a strike rate of 160.08, a number that underlines just how aggressive his batting style really is. His ability to score quickly in the middle order and to take on spin bowlers without fear makes him an especially useful player for T20 cricket, the kind of player every team looks for.
The right window to experiment before the World Cup
There is still plenty of time left before the T20 World Cup, giving the selectors enough room to test different players. Irfan Pathan believes a player like Rajat Patidar should get his chance in this very window, so that Team India can settle on its best possible combination before the big tournament arrives. If the selectors act on this suggestion, Patidar, who has been wreaking havoc with the bat in the IPL, could soon be seen in the blue jersey of Team India. Notably, Patidar has not yet made his debut in T20 International cricket, which means Pathan's demand could open up an entirely new opportunity for him.
