Despite a crowded middle-order, RCB captain Rajat Patidar has the skill find a place in the Indian T20 squad, feels former India women's captain Anjum Chopra.
Key Points
- Anjum Chopra backs Rajat Patidar to find a spot in India's T20 team.
- will captain the Gwalior Cheetahs in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20.
- Gwalior Cheetahs will play Ujjain Falcons in the opening match of the 2026 MPL T20 season.
- Up to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to handle fandom.
Fresh off leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a second successive IPL title, Rajat Patidar has done enough to force his way into India's T20I reckoning, according to former India women's captain Anjum Chopra.
Patidar is set to lead JKC Sports-owned Gwalior Cheetahs in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 in Gwalior, it was announced on Tuesday.
Gwalior Cheetahs will face Ujjain Falcons in the opening match of the 2026 season at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.on Wednesday.
"He will definitely find a place in the squad of the Indian T20 team, undoubtedly. He has always had the skill. Even when he made the Test debut for India, it was just one of those opportunities."
"It's just that the Indian team is so full in that middle order or in the top order right now. If you look at any batter to get an opportunity, it's a tough one to break through, but Patidar has always been very skillful, very talented.
"It's not just about winning IPL. It's just a confirmation about him being a leader and the franchise winning."
Sooryavanshi's Challenge with the Spotlight
Teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become one of the biggest talking points in Indian cricket after his stunning IPL campaign, but Chopra believes his toughest challenge now lies away from the cricket field.
"If it (spotlight) has to go to his head, he has to balance it out. The fandom is there for everyone to see. The following is there for the sport," she said.
"It is just upon him how he handles it or around him, people who are there, how they educate him to handle all this," she explained.
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