Shubman Gill In; Rajat Patidar Captain: India Squad To Beat Team For Ireland, England

Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar were incredible in IPL 2026 [Source: AFP]

The BCCI confirmed the India squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England on June 6. Shreyas Iyer was appointed as India's new T20I captain, while the likes of Shubman Gill and Rajat Patidar missed out on selection despite performing admirably in the IPL 2026. 

While the BCCI has selected a full-strength Indian squad for the UK tour, we can determine a team of unselected players that can give Shreyas Iyer's men a run for their money. Before proceeding, here's a look at the Team India squad that will take on Ireland and England across seven T20Is in the June-July window. 

India T20I squad for Ireland and England series

Shreyas Iyer (C), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav

Alternate team that can beat India T20I squad for Ireland and England series

To find an alternate team that can beat the India T20I squad vs Ireland and England, we have compared the selected players with those who didn't make the cut. 

We have also justified why a squad comprising these cricketers can beat the Indian team picked by the BCCI through relevant data and logical reasoning. 

Rajat Patidar over Shreyas Iyer as captain

The BCCI chose Shreyas Iyer as India's new T20I captain following his stellar success in the IPL. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar has led RCB to two consecutive IPL titles, and therefore he makes it into our team as the captain. 

Talking about their batting record as captains, Shreyas Iyer has 3096 IPL runs at an average of 38.7 and a strike rate of 141.75. 

On the other hand, Rajat Patidar has been far more explosive and offers a more dynamic batting option at number four, having amassed 781 runs at a strike rate of 172.02 as the RCB captain. 

Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan: An opening pair every team dreams of

As evidenced by the above stats, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been far more successful as an opening pair for Gujarat Titans than what Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have been for India. 

While Gill and Sudharsan have recorded 16 fifty-plus opening stands in just 34 IPL outings, Abhishek and Samson have only three partnerships greater than 50 runs across 22 matches. 

Also Read: End Of Road For Shubman Gill In T20Is; BCCI Issues Strict Diktat

In fact, the batting pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson is statistically the least consistent duo among the top nine most successful opening pairs in India's T20I history. 

Therefore, based on data, our opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan comfortably outclasses the one picked by the BCCI for the UK tour. 

Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, Angkrish Raghuvanshi: The consistent scorers

Dhruv Jurel is the linchpin of the Rajasthan Royals' batting lineup. He recently scored 515 runs at an average of 36.79 and a strike rate of 154.65 in the IPL 2026. 

On a similar note, Devdutt Padikkal and Angkrish Raghuvanshi showed red-hot form for RCB and KKR, respectively, and therefore, this trio is at par with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma as far as consistency is concerned.

Rinku Singh, Suryansh Shedge as finishers over Shivam Dube

(Rinku showcased better form than Dube in IPL 2026)

Rinku Singh emerged as one of the biggest positives for KKR in an otherwise dismal campaign. The swashbuckling batter hammered 295 IPL 2026 runs, bailing out his team from precarious situations with impactful knocks. 

Shivam Dube, on the other hand, failed to live up to the expectations in the IPL 2026. A direct data-based comparison indicates that Rinku indeed outperformed Dube and is an upgrade over the latter, given his current form. 

On the other hand, Suryansh Shedge, who grabbed the limelight for his clean-striking abilities, has been picked to strengthen our finishing department. Shedge registered a strike rate of 175.56, showcasing his calibre in the IPL 2026. 

Krunal Pandya as allrounder over Axar Patel

Axar Patel had a topsy-turvy IPL campaign, managing 173 runs and 11 wickets across 13 matches for Delhi Capitals. Krunal Pandya, on the other hand, played a pivotal role for RCB, scoring 226 runs and scalping 14 wickets. 

Apart from these stats, Krunal was more difficult to face for the batters, courtesy of his variations, especially the bouncer, which he bowled quite regularly throughout the IPL 2026. Thus, Krunal Pandya makes it into our alternate India squad that can beat the team selected by the BCCI. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Kartik Tyagi, Sakib Hussain picked as pacers

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged 28 wickets in IPL 2026 and can be a handy option across all three phases. He is undoubtedly an upgrade over the current version of Arshdeep Singh, who could bag only 14 wickets at an abysmal economy of 10.21. 

Kartik Tyagi and Sakib Hussain, who scalped 18 and 15 wickets, respectively, make the team as specialists in the middle and death overs. 

Rasikh Salam's wily variations earn him a place in the alternate India squad following a productive IPL season that saw him bag 19 wickets in just 12 matches for RCB. 

Yash Punja, Shivang Kumar to spearhead spin bowling

While the BCCI has picked Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, the wily duo of Yash Punja and Shivang Kumar make it into our alternate India squad as the frontline spin options. 

Punja outperformed Ravi Bishnoi in the IPL, as the Royals eventually made him a regular in their playing XI. Shivang, on the other hand, scalped nine wickets for SRH and will be a bright prospect for Team India in the future. 

Alternate India squad that can beat team for Ireland, England

Rajat Patidar(C), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Rinku Singh, Krunal Pandya, Suryansh Shedge, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shivang Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Yash Punja, Kartik Tyagi, Sakib Hussain

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