Former India batter and ex-chief selector Krishnamachari Srikanth believes the BCCI should seriously consider bringing Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into India’s T20I plans after their match-winning performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026.

RCB stormed into the IPL 2026 final with a crushing 92-run victory over the Gujarat Titans in Dharamshala. After the match, Srikanth openly backed the trio for a place in India’s white-ball setup, especially in T20 cricket.

“If I were the chairman of the committee today, I’d give Rajat Patidar a chance for Indian in white ball cricket," Srikanth began.

“They should give him a chance in white ball cricket, be it T20 or ODI cricket," the former Indian opener said.

“Krunal Pandya deserves a chance in T20 cricket, and I’ve been saying this, Bhuvneshwar Kumar deserves a call back in T20 cricket for India," he said.

Patidar Leads From the Front in Massive RCB Total

RCB captain Rajat Patidar played one of his best knocks of the season, remaining unbeaten on 93 and leading his side to a huge total of 254.

GT chose to bowl first after winning the toss, but RCB’s batters quickly took control.

Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer gave RCB a fast start before Kagiso Rabada dismissed Iyer for 19 off just seven balls.

Patidar later took charge of the innings after Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal added important runs in the middle overs.

Kohli scored 43, while Padikkal made 30 before both fell in quick succession.

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Patidar then stitched together a crucial 95-run stand with Krunal Pandya, who played an aggressive knock of 43 from 28 deliveries.

Even after Krunal’s dismissal, Patidar kept attacking till the end and, along with Jitesh Sharma, helped RCB cross the 250-run mark.

Bowlers Finish the Job for RCB

RCB’s bowlers carried the momentum into the second innings and never allowed Gujarat Titans to settle.

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Jacob Duffy struck early by dismissing Sai Sudharsan, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed GT captain Shubman Gill cheaply.

Jos Buttler tried to fight back with 29 runs, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals.

Rashik Salam impressed with two wickets, including a caught-and-bowled dismissal.

Duffy completed his three-wicket haul by removing Rashid Khan, while Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also picked up two wickets each. GT were eventually bowled out for 162 in 19.3 overs.