Former India batter Aakash Chopra discussed the non-inclusion of Rajat Patidar in India's 16-member T20I squad for the five-match series against England. Patidar was not part of the squad selected for the series.

Chopra analyzed the depth of the batting line-up, stating that to find a place for Patidar, another player would need to be removed. "It's a very good question, but to find an answer to that question, we will have to dig a little deeper and see who can go out. You have kept left-handers in the top three at the moment. You won't see Rajat Patidar in any of those places because you have got Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan," he said. He noted the presence of left-handed batters in the top three positions, indicating no immediate availability for Patidar.

He also addressed the difficulty in altering the top order. "There is no scope to change any of those three. Ishan Kishan is at No. 3. If you have the power to remove Ishan Kishan, remove him. He has become the No. 1 T20I batter just now. It already seems like we are not doing right with Sanju," Chopra said. He added that Sanju Samson, who played in the opening match of the T20I series against England but was left out of the second T20I, also contributes to the depth. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replaced Samson at the top of the order for the second T20I.

Further down the batting order, Shreyas Iyer occupies the No. 4 position, while Tilak Varma, the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team, bats at No. 5. Shivam Dube is positioned at No. 6. "Shreyas Iyer comes at No. 4, and your vice-captain, Tilak Varma, comes at No. 5. Shivam Dube comes at No. 6. If you are not going to move the captain and vice-captain, which you shouldn't, would you want to play Rajat Patidar in place of Shivam Dube?" he asked.

Patidar has represented India in three Test matches and one ODI. He has scored 3,389 runs in 106 innings in domestic and franchise T20 cricket, maintaining a strike rate of 160.08. "I am of the opinion that his time will come. Rajat Patidar will certainly play for India again. He has played Test cricket earlier. It's only a matter of time, but has that time come? It will only come if you have to make someone sit out. Who will you make sit out? That question will have to be answered first. I don't think there is any scope for his name to come immediately," Chopra said.

Why It Matters

The discussion around Rajat Patidar's exclusion reflects the competition for spots in India's T20I squad, particularly given the performances of current players. The considerations for team selection include maintaining a stable batting order and accommodating recent high-performing players such as Ishan Kishan. This situation reflects the depth of talent available for selection in Indian cricket.