BCCI Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar recently addressed the decision to leave Rajat Patidar out of the T20I squad, which was announced for the upcoming series against Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games. Patidar, who led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to victory in 2025, successfully defended their title in 2026. He had an outstanding season, racking up 501 runs with an impressive strike rate of 192.69. At 33, he truly shone in a middle-order enforcer role, batting at number 4. Given the struggles of outgoing skipper Suryakumar Yadav in that position, fans and experts alike have been vocal about wanting Patidar included in the Indian team. Also Read | 'India Can't Ignore Him Anymore': Ex-England Great Backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Agarkar acknowledged the unfortunate nature of Patidar's exclusion but noted that such decisions are part and parcel of squad selections. The former fast bowler expressed his satisfaction with the squad they've assembled and commended the depth of talent available in the country. As the committee moves on from former captain Suryakumar, Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the new leader of the T20I side. This decision reflects a forward-thinking approach, considering the next two-year cycle leading up to the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the Men in Blue will defend their title. The squad also features 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, making him the youngest player ever selected for India. India T20I squad for Ireland and England series Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi