In addition to young people, there are also experienced players who confirm the widespread phrase that age is just a number and class is permanent. Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar are among the players above the age of 30, but they have been playing an exciting brand of cricket since the start of IPL 2026 for their respective franchises.
Along with Iyer and Patidar, there are also three other experienced cricketers who deserve to be in the Indian national camp for the T20 International format. Who are the other three players, who are over 30 years old but have the potential to play an important role in the Indian team? Let’s find out.
List of 5 IPL 2026 over-30 stars who deserve a place in India T20I:
1. Shreyas Iyer
The 31-year-old batsman has all the credentials to play for India in the shortest format of the game. Iyer, who guided the Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 Indian Premier League triumph and captained the Punjab Kings to qualify for the finals of the IPL 2025 season, has established himself as a star captain in the franchise’s league. Not only did he help the team with his gray matter, but he also mastered middle-order batting. In the current Indian Premier League season, the Punjab Kings captain has already registered a couple of half-centuries in four matches.
2.Rajat Patidar
Another Indian cricketer who needs no introduction. The 32-year-old, who broke the 18-year-old jinx and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to claim their maiden IPL title, should be in the T20I camp. Rajat Patidar is a proven batsman in the domestic season where he proved his temperament and batting skills time and again. In today’s league, the middle order batsman has performed in a more fiery manner. The RCB captain has scored 31, 48*, 63 and 53 runs so far against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians respectively.
3. Krunal Pandya
Another RCB player who has proven his worth time and again. Whenever captain Rajat Patidar needs wickets in crucial situations, he hands the ball to the experienced spinner. The 35-year-old spinner, who featured in ODIs and T20Is for the team, deserves another season with the Men in Blue brigade. In the IPL 2025 season, Krunal scalped 17 wickets in 15 matches for an economy rate of 8.23, including the double in the final with an economy rate of 4.25. In the current season, he has 5 wickets in 4 matches so far.
4. Prasidh Krishna
Critics may have gone after the 30-year-old pacer for conceding too many runs in multiple matches for Team India, but there is no denying that Prasidh Krishna is a wicket-taking machine in the Indian Premier League. The winner of the Purple Cap in the IPL 2025 season has worked hard in the current season to keep the individual title intact with him. The Gujarat Titans pacer has already claimed 10 wickets in 4 matches with an economy rate of 9.50.
5. Mohammed Shami
The 35-year-old pacer has tried his best to return to the Indian team for another season. One of the best pacers who played alongside Jasprit Bumrah in international matches had to face extremely difficult situations due to injuries. Since returning from rehabilitation, the Bengal pacer has been in impressive form.
Shami played regularly for the Bengal cricket team in the 2025-26 domestic tournaments and is now firing on all cylinders with the Lucknow Super Giants. Shami has taken 4 wickets in 4 IPL 2026 matches so far for an impressive economy rate of 6.25. Prolific batsmen like Abhishek Sharma and KL Rahul were dismissed for ducking into the lethal pacer.
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