The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s T20I squad for the tours of Ireland and England, along with the Asian Games 2026. As expected, Shreyas Iyer has been named as India’s next T20I captain. Ravi Bishnoi returns to the side, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden call-up.
But there are some notable misses. In fact, three Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players, who were in top-notch form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, have been ignored. All three had better cases to make the squad than some who made it ahead of them.
No space for Rajat Patidar in middle-order
The first is Rajat Patidar. The RCB captain actually scored more runs than Shreyas at number four and struck faster as well. It was either him or Heinrich Klaasen who was the best middle-order batter in IPL 2026. He has led RCB to 2 titles and, with each passing year, improved as a batter. One could make the case that Tilak Varma, who has been named vice-captain, could be dropped for Patidar, but that can’t happen with an Asia Cup and T20 World Cup winner, whom the selectors believe can lead in the future.
Age against Bhuvneshwar Kumar?
The second is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The fast bowler hasn’t played T20Is since November 2022. Yes, he’s 36, but without a shadow of a doubt, Bhuvneshwar was the best bowler in IPL 2026. He didn’t win the Purple Cap but had the most impact. In a format where you need to bowl just 4 overs, he showed that he’s still got it. But the selectors have gone with Prince Yadav, a fast bowler who’s just 24 and can potentially play for 10 years if everything goes right.
“I am very surprised about Bhuvneshwar. The way he bowled in the IPL was terrific. I don’t know whether selectors even had a chat about him,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on SonyLIV.
Krunal Pandya for Axar Patel?
Krunal Pandya handily outperformed Axar Patel in IPL 2026. He was one of the best all-rounders in the league. He was a bank with the ball and came in at number five when RCB needed him. Krunal bowled bouncers, played the role of anchor, and fielded his heart out. Anything RCB wanted, he was ready to do. Axar has been removed as vice-captain, suggesting his position isn’t as certain as before. But the selectors have still backed him and Washington Sundar, who hasn’t done much for India over Krunal.
India T20I squad for Ireland, England & Asian Games 2026
Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj (not in Asian Games), Prince Yadav (not in Asian Games), Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah (only for Asian Games)
Cricket
Team India squad for Ireland, England T20Is, Asian Games, India A squad for Sri Lanka tour announced
