Srikkanth Pushes For Rajat Patidar’s T20I Inclusion

Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has lobbied for Rajat Patidar to replace vice captain Tilak Varma in India’s T20I squad for the next series.

Fans and commentators are demanding for Patidar’s inclusion in the team after leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second straight IPL title during an unbelievable season. The batter performed admirably as a middle-order enforcer, scoring 501 runs in 15 games with an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69.

Srikkanth has asked that Patidar replace Tilak, who was recently chosen the Indian team’s vice-captain in a momentous shift that also saw Shreyas Iyer take over as skipper.

Since then, India has played eleven Twenty20 Internationals. Tilak has three half centuries and 255 runs at a strike rate of 143.25. After a magnificent 29-ball 60, Tilak struck 11 from nine balls in Zimbabwe’s final Twenty20 International. Srikkanth has further questioned Tilak’s erratic batting.

“Again, Tilak ate nine balls. He can’t keep playing so fast for too long. Where’s the consistency? Tell me. What was he doing in England? There will be occasional knocks. He’s nothing compared to Rajat Patidar. If you want a solid T20 knock, give Patidar a chance.

Everyone is receiving opportunities, even Yash Thakur; give him one too,” Srikkanth stated on his YouTube channel.

During India’s second T20I against Zimbabwe, Tilak overcame MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina to become the country’s seventh-highest run scorer. In 56 innings, the southpaw has 1645 runs at a 44.45 average and a 145.18 strike rate. He has two hundred and nine half-centuries under his belt.

India’s recent performance in the format has sparked criticism, following a 2-0 loss to Ireland in Belfast and a 4-0 defeat to an eager England team in a five-match series. Nevertheless, they were able to defeat Zimbabwe 3-0 in the recently concluded series.