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Will Rajat Patidar make India T20I debut in 2026? Strengthens case after stunning knock in RCB vs GT IPL playoff originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Rajat Patidar smashed an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls at a strike rate of 281.81.
- Helped RCB post 254/5, the highest total ever in IPL playoff history.
- His knock reignites debate over Suryakumar Yadav's place in India's T20 squad.
RCB vs GT: Rajat Patidar's sensational knock in IPL 2026 playoffs
Rajat Patidar played a brilliant knock of 93 runs off 33 balls, inspiring Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a massive total of 254/5 in 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. It is the biggest total in the history of IPL playoff cricket.
Patidar hit five fours and nine sixes as he took the GT bowlers to the cleaners. In fact, the final six overs of the RCB innings produced 114 runs, and Patidar was the primary architect behind it.
Jitesh Sharma also chipped in at the death with a quickfire 15 off five balls, putting the finishing touches on a historic total.
The previous best in the knockouts was 233/3, set by Gujarat Titans themselves against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Qualifier 2 at Ahmedabad.
MORE: What are the highest run-chases in IPL knockouts?
Should Rajat Patidar be included in the India T20 squad in place of Suryakumar Yadav?
India face Ireland in a two-match T20 series before taking on England in five games, and the selection conversation around Suryakumar Yadav has been building for a while.
He led India to a T20 World Cup title in March, but as a batter, his numbers have slipped sharply. Across 13 innings in IPL 2026, Suryakumar scored 270 runs at an average of 20.76, wrapping up his season with a fifty against Rajasthan Royals.
There have been calls from fans to look at alternatives like Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill in the middle order and after Tuesday's innings, Patidar's name is firmly in that mix.
MORE: Holder's fiery celebration in front of Kohli after dismissing him again in IPL 2026
The Cricket News Opinion: Patidar has made the selectors' job harder
It will be difficult to write Suryakumar off, right now. He has earned the benefit of the doubt many times over and his clarification on the injury question was fair and measured.
But selectors pick form and right now Patidar's form is impossible to ignore.
An unbeaten 93 off 33 balls in a knockout match, under real pressure, against quality international bowlers, is an incredible job. BCCI selector RP Singh was in the stands. He would have noticed and if he did, he probably wasn't alone.
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