Hanuma Vihari has questioned the decision to leave Rajat Patidar out of India's T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series, saying the selectors ignored the RCB captain despite his impressive performances.

The series comes at an important time for the Men in Blue, who are looking to bounce back after a difficult period. India suffered a 2-0 defeat against Ireland and were then beaten 4-0 by England. The team is currently on a seven-match winless run in T20 cricket.

The Zimbabwe tour gives Shreyas Iyer's side a chance to regain confidence after their disappointing results in the United Kingdom.

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Why Rajat Patidar excluded?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vihari questioned why Patidar was not included in the squad despite his strong IPL performances.

Vihari also raised concerns about India's squad balance and questioned the absence of experienced players like Kuldeep Yadav and Sanju Samson.

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Patidar's IPL 2026 season

Patidar had an excellent IPL 2026 season, scoring 486 runs at a strike rate of 196.76, but he still missed out on selection. Vihari felt that his performances should have earned him an opportunity.

The three-match T20I series will begin at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, July 23, with all matches scheduled to be played at the same venue. India will be hoping to end their poor run and secure their first bilateral T20I series win since lifting the T20 World Cup trophy in March 2026.