Virat Kohli has declared he won’t play the first two Tests in the five-match series with England. Born from this, Rajat Patidar earns his first spot on the red-ball squad. This also implies Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara aren’t favored. Sarfaraz Khan is getting his patience tested.
At 30 years old, Rajat Patidar has been impressive recently. His performance includes 151 runs against England Lions for India A during the inaugural unofficial Test. This cricket master from Indore also scored 111 in a warm-up match against the Lions. Last year, he was even with the A team on their tour of South Africa.
It’s worth noting that Rinku Singh was named to the A squad for the last two games against the Engliand Lions on Tuesday, paving the path for the right-handed batter’s participation in the senior team. He has 4000 runs in 55 first-class matches, average 45.97 with 12 centuries, and a top score of 196.
Rajat Patidar’s international debut in South Africa tour
A 30-year-old cricketer played his first international match in India’s recent overseas series against South Africa. His maiden match was in Paarl, the 3rd ODI, where he teamed up with Sai Sudharsan as an opener. He scored 22 from 16 balls, hit three boundaries and one six. If given a chance to play in the initial Test against England in Hyderabad, his position might be in the middle order.
Rajat Patidar got noticed after IPL 2022, where he made 333 runs in seven rounds with an average of 55.50, and a strike rate of 152.75. His first ton came during the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants, hitting 112 from 54 balls. This helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) post a winning score.
The Indian team depends on Virat Kohli. The 30-year-old who could debut in Hyderabad has a huge role to step into.