Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has joined experts like Kris Srikkanth, Aakash Chopra, and Virender Sehwag, who think Rajat Patidar should return to India’s T20I team amid IPL 2026 playoffs.
RCB registered a resounding 92-run win against Gujarat Titans in the first qualifier at Dharamshala on Tuesday and Patidar played a huge role in his team’s win.
Patidar scored an outstanding knock of 93 runs off just 33 balls with the help of five fours and nine sixes. The RCB skipper scored his runs at a blistering strike rate of 281.82 and played a key role in helping his team post an above-par score of 254 runs on the board. Thus, he was awarded Player of the Match.
The right-hander got off to a sedate start, scoring 14 runs off the first 10 balls but on the next 23 deliveries, he smashed 79 runs. Patidar also had the rub of the green as he was dropped by Kagiso Rabada when he was on 20.
Patidar has scored 486 runs in 13 innings of IPL 2026 at an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 196.76.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “There must be a discussion. If it doesn’t happen, then something is wrong. Rajat Patidar played an important knock, but this is not the first time; he has a great record in Qualifiers.”
Ashwin reckons that after this blistering knock, Patidar is right up there with Shreyas Iyer.
“Before this knock, Shreyas Iyer was a little ahead of Rajat Patidar. But after today’s knock, Rajat Patidar is right up there. We all know how Rajat Patidar plays spinners, but today, he did well against the fast bowlers as well. It was surprising that no GT bowler tested him with the bouncer.”
The former off-spinner reckons Iyer would have made a stronger case for himself if PBKS had qualified for the playoffs.
“If Shreyas Iyer’s amazing form coincided with PBKS making it to the playoffs, [it would have been ideal]. I still think Shreyas Iyer is in contention, but if, by captaining RCB and reaching the final with such a knock, who knows, he might defend the title as well, then it is important to talk about him. Not just talk, it is important to give him a chance,” he added.
RCB will play the IPL final at Ahmedabad on Sunday.
