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Harbhajan Singh Questions India's Selection Call After Rajat Patidar Misses Out : 'What Else Does He Need To Do?'

Cricket Gully | June 7, 2026 4:39 PM CST

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has questioned the selectors after Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar was excluded from India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England and the Asian Games.

The Indian selectors announced the squad on Sunday with a few significant changes. Shreyas Iyer has been named captain in the absence of Suryakumar Yadav. Young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who is only 15, has earned his maiden call-up to the senior Indian side. Tilak Varma has been appointed vice-captain.

Soon after the squad announcement Harbhajan took to Twitter to express his disappointment at Patidar’s omission. The former spinner felt that the batter had done enough to earn a place in the Indian squad.

Harbhajan wrote on X.

“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,”

Also Read | Rinku Singh Dropped from India T20I Squads for 3 Tours

Patidar's IPL numbers boost his case further

Harbhajan's comments came after another outstanding IPL season from Patidar. The right-hander has been one of the most consistent performers in the league over the past two seasons and has also captained his team successfully.

Patidar captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever IPL title in 2025 and followed that up by leading the team to a second consecutive title in the 2026 edition.

With the bat, Patidar scored 501 runs in 15 matches in the IPL 2026 season at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of close to 200. He also hit 42 sixes during the season making him one of the most feared middle-order batsmen in the league.

However, the selectors overlooked his brilliant performance and opted to go with other players for the upcoming fixtures.

The Indian squad for the T20Is against Ireland and England includes:

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 and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

The squad for the Asian Games includes:

Shreyas Iyer (c), Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah.