India needs to move on from Suryakumar Yadav. The T20I captain has had a mediocre 24 months. Whether it’s his wrist, the opposition planning against him, or the end of his prime, we don’t know. That doesn’t matter. The end result is that Suryakumar has been India’s worst batter since he took over as skipper in July 2024.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the selectors might persist with Suryakumar for the upcoming away tours of Ireland or England. But there’s no indication that his old game will be back. At some point or other, India will have to move on from him. Luckily, the backups are ready.
It’s time for a new number 4
Over the last 12 months, Suryakumar has batted at four in every second match (21 of 42). Under Gautam Gambhir, it’s become his position. Therefore, you need a batter who’s performed at that particular spot. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, two batters, Rajat Patidar and Shreyas Iyer, have stood out as candidates for Suryakumar.
Both were in the reckoning since 2025, but Suryakumar’s worst IPL season in 5 years coincided with great performances by Patidar and Shreyas. Both captains of their franchises, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS), led their teams from the front. If not in runs, then in intent and impact.
There’s actually not much separating them at number 4. At least, from a macro point of view. Shreyas has a better average, primarily because he remained unbeaten 4 times, whereas Patidar, who played one more innings, returned to the dugout after the end of the innings just twice.
Shreyas Iyer vs Rajat Patidar: IPL 2026 stats at number 4
| Innings | Balls | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Highest Score | Boundary% | DOT% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajat Patidar | 12 | 235 | 440 | 44.0 | 187.2 | 93 | 26.3% | 22.5% |
| Shreyas Iyer | 10 | 231 | 415 | 59.2 | 179.6 | 101 | 24.6% | 21.2% |
Another obvious finding is that Shreyas rotates the strike better in the middle overs, thereby having a lower dot percentage. Meanwhile, it’s clear Patidar attacks more. He has a higher boundary percentage and lower average. He goes harder at the bowlers, the consequences of which are more dismissals.
To pick either, you must decide what you prefer. For that, we’ll need a deep dive. Shreyas plays in an intent-driven batting unit. From Priyansh Arya to Marco Jansen, they have 9 batters who can strike at 200. That’s why, often, he anchors Punjab. It’s not as if he doesn’t attack, but he tries to play through with others going hard anyway.
What Shreyas Iyer offers
For that reason, Shreyas averages 96.6 in the middle overs. His strike rate (160.2) isn’t out of this world for that reason. He doesn’t attack the spinners much either. He wasn’t dismissed by spinners in IPL 2026, but his strike rate was 159.7. For someone considered a spin basher, that isn’t exceptional. But again, that boils down to the role Shreyas plays. Even in general, he’s a batter who doesn’t get dismissed by spinners and doesn’t have that high intent against them.
Shreyas also struggles against the new ball. His powerplay average is 28.5, but he faces the best bowlers early on (first 2 overs); he struggles big time. Neither can he stay in nor can he score. From then to over 10, Shreyas has no issues. He doesn’t get dismissed much and strikes above average. However, if he has to come in later, he goes extremely hard and perishes early.
Shreyas Iyer stats in IPL 2026 via entry point
| Over No. | Balls | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 19 | 19.0 | 90.4 |
| 2 | 5 | 5 | 5.0 | 100.0 |
| 3 | 54 | 102 | 102.0 | 188.8 |
| 5 | 34 | 66 | 66.0 | 194.1 |
| 7 | 36 | 59 | — | 163.8 |
| 8 | 36 | 71 | — | 197.2 |
| 9 | 60 | 99 | 99.0 | 165.0 |
| 10 | 39 | 68 | 34.0 | 174.3 |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 4.0 | 200.0 |
| 14 | 6 | 5 | 5.0 | 83.3 |
Rajat Patidar, not just a spin basher
For long, Patidar was just considered an elite batter of spin, which he is. But in IPL 2026. He was much more. Fascinatingly, he didn’t struggle with the new ball or in the powerplay. His strike rate in the first 10 balls was 172.8. Shreyas, for comparison, was 136.7. Even when RCB was in jeopardy or early on, Patidar took the aggressive route.
Similar to Shreyas, Patidar was exceptional until over 10. In fact, he’s ahead by a massive margin in terms of strike rate post the powerplay. The phase where spinners enter. However, unlike Shreyas, Patidar goes out a fair few times. He averaged just 20.66 against spin in IPL 2026, but his strike rate was 206.6. He knows spin is his match-up and goes after it.
If he talks about pace, Patidar averaged 62.66 against fast bowlers while striking at 188.9. It’s clear that he picks and chooses more against pacers, who were the dominant force in IPL 2026. He has a slight issue against bouncers, but he isn’t a walking wicket against that type of ball. In comparison, Shreyas averaged 38 while striking at 174.4 against pacers.
Rajat Patidar Iyer stats in IPL 2026 via entry point
| Over No. | Balls | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 31 | 61 | 61.0 | 196.7 |
| 4 | 63 | 90 | 30.0 | 142.8 |
| 6 | 51 | 71 | 35.5 | 139.2 |
| 8 | 13 | 27 | 27.0 | 207.6 |
| 9 | 45 | 124 | 124.0 | 275.5 |
| 11 | 39 | 101 | 101.0 | 258.9 |
| 12 | 4 | 8 | 8.0 | 200.0 |
| 13 | 5 | 8 | 8.0 | 160.0 |
| 14 | 8 | 11 | 11.0 | 137.5 |
Who’s better?
There’s no clear answer. You go with Shreyas if you want someone who won’t get dismissed easily in the middle overs and then can go big in the death overs. He’s exceptional against spin, in terms of milking them, but won’t hit them out of the attack. Whereas Patidar is the more attacking option. He’ll take the game on at all times; spin or pace doesn’t matter. That can backfire a bit, as he’ll get dismissed for lower scores a bit more, but one can’t forget he did average 41.75 with 501 runs.
If one wants an all-round quick striker, Patidar is the clear option. But he wants someone to anchor the innings with the ability to switch gears and who can take spin on as well; Shreyas is the answer. Now, it’s up to what the selectors and Gambhir feel Team India needs.
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