Team India’s disappointing run in T20Is has sparked fresh debate over what is going wrong with the reigning world champions. Three straight defeats across the Ireland and England tours have exposed cracks in the team’s batting, and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes one major flaw has become impossible to ignore.
Under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India is still searching for their first convincing performance. More worrying than the defeats has been the inconsistency with the bat. Despite boasting several explosive hitters, India has failed to breach the 200-run mark in any game, often struggling to build momentum through the middle overs.
According to Pathan, the issue is the imbalance in India’s batting line-up.
In the second T20I against England, India played with six left-handed batters in their top seven, with Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel all featuring alongside lone right-hander Shreyas Iyer.
Such a combination, Pathan believes, makes India’s batting easier to plan against. Opposing captains can exploit favourable match-ups by relying on left-arm bowlers or spinners, limiting India’s ability to counterattack and rotate strike during crucial phases of the innings.
To address the imbalance, Pathan has urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to consider Rajat Patidar, one of the most consistent right-handed middle-order batters over the last few seasons.
Patidar has scored over 300 runs in each of his last four IPL campaigns, but his finest season came in IPL 2026. Leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the 33-year-old smashed 501 runs in just 14 innings at a remarkable strike rate of 192.69 while guiding the franchise to a second consecutive title.
Despite those numbers, Patidar remains on the fringes of India’s white-ball plans, having represented the country in only three Tests and one ODI, with his last international appearance coming in February 2024.
India’s struggles have shown that talent alone is not enough. Team balance, adaptability and tactical flexibility are equally important, especially in overseas conditions where bowlers can dictate terms.
Whether Patidar is the answer remains to be seen, but Pathan’s criticism reflects a growing concern around India’s current batting template. As defeats continue to pile up, the selectors may need to look beyond reputation and recent success to restore the balance that has been missing from the batting order.
With tougher challenges still ahead, India’s response over the remainder of the England tour could determine whether this poor run is merely a temporary dip or a sign of deeper structural problems.
Source: NDTV
