Aakash Chopra opens up on Rajat Patidar’s non-selection in India’s T20I squads

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has opined that questioning Rajat Patidar’s non-selection for the upcoming UK tour is understandable. However, he wondered how many changes can the selectors make to their World Cup-winning squad.

The Ajit Agarkar-led panel has already dropped Suryakumar Yadav, replacing him with Shreyas Iyer as captain. Meanwhile, Patidar was able to lead RCB from the front and played a key role in taking the team to glory for the second time in a row.

The RCB captain amassed 501 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69 in the recently concluded season. Patidar took the attack on the opposition bowlers in the middle overs and made a huge difference with his aggressive approach.

“Why no Rajat Patidar in the T20I team? Rajat Patidar should be there, and what better can Rajat Patidar do? I saw Bhajji’s tweet as well, as to what more can he do? I totally agree, and this is the general sentiment. It is an outpouring of an emotion, that an extremely wrong that is happening if you are unable to give him a chance, which is understandable,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“However, a question that will keep lingering in your mind is that someone needs to go out for someone to come. Assuming Rajat Patidar becomes a part of the team, who would go out? You have already left out two batters from the World Cup-winning team. You have left out Surya and Rinku. Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Shreyas Iyer have come in there. How many more changes will you suddenly make in a World Cup-winning team?” he added.

Chopra further questioned the selectors for dropping SKY straight away after the World Cup but reckons they made the right call in appointing Shreyas Iyer as the new skipper.

“I am still not able to justify that you couldn’t give Suryakumar Yadav a single match after winning the World Cup. He has gone out, so Shreyas has come in. Shreyas Iyer is your captaincy candidate, and he has come as a captain only. He didn’t get a chance in the Indian T20I team for two years, but now that he has gotten a chance, it’s straightaway as a captain, which is absolutely right,” he said.

The renowned commentator said Rinku Singh was dropped to accommodate an extra seamer.

“However, someone had to go for Shreyas Iyer to come. It was a part of a huge thought process that we would look towards 2028 with this captain. So I will say thumbs up with both hands. Rinku Singh’s name is not there in this team because you had to do something different tactically. You have to take an extra fast bowler now and you don’t want to compromise on all-rounders,” Chopra observed.

India will play two T20Is against Ireland, followed by five T20Is against England.