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Harshal Patel is in seventh heaven right now. The 30-year-old Haryana pacer started IPL 2021 with a bang, becoming the first bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul against the mighty Mumbai Indians. If that wasn’t enough, Harshal Patel later strode out to bat and hit the winning runs off the last ball of the match to win Royal Challengers Bangalore the game.
His stunning display with the ball prompted Virat Kohli to suggest Harshal Patel could be the answer to RCB’s death bowling woes. It is a big statement to make, considering the franchise has yearned for a dependable death bowler for years now.
But Harshal Patel is up to the task and ready to take on all the responsibility that comes his way. He talks about Virat Kohli, his aspirations as an all-rounder and much more in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.
“I think the quality I admire about him the most is that he is a three-dimensional personality. He is not only about cricket. If you watch him closely, the way he goes about life, the way he conducts himself on and off the field is something to learn from,” said Patel.
It is not the first time Harshal Patel is playing under Virat Kohli’s tutelage. Handed an IPL contract by RCB in 2012, Harshal Patel is one of the few players to play alongside Kohli when the superstar batsman wasn’t the RCB skipper. He has seen Virat Kohli transform from a young captain to the all-conquering legend we see today. Having observed his rise from close quarters, Patel admits it is a privilege to see the dynamic batsman go from strength to strength in his career.
“The amount of dedication, hunger and attention to detail that he has, is something that is very inspiring. The sort of fitness he manages to keep up despite playing so much cricket at the highest level is something I really admire. As everybody knows in the last ten years, he has been an institution in himself in terms of batting, leadership, fitness and all these aspects of the game. So I have seen him up close and personal for eight years now. It is a privilege to be around him," claimed Patel.
To say Harshal Patel’s RCB tenure has been topsy turvy would be an understatement. He started his career with a bang, picking up nine wickets in his debut season. But he didn’t get many chances in 2014 and played just three games in the whole season.
It was in 2015 where he had his best campaign, taking 17 IPL scalps at an economy of 7.48. But the pacer couldn’t back it up, once again dropping out of favour as he played just four games in the next two seasons.
He was brought in by the Delhi Capitals in 2018, but never truly settled at the outfit. After featuring in just 12 games across three seasons, Harshal Patel is now back with the team he started his IPL journey with.
“I want to be a player who can play in any situation anywhere” – Harshal Patel
Despite being around for almost ten years now, Harshal Patel has rarely been a regular at an IPL franchise. He has played more than 5 IPL games just twice in a season, with the last such instance coming in 2015.
He is often used as a sixth bowling option, proven by the fact that he has bowled just 154.2 overs in his eight seasons before IPL 2021. But this campaign, he has a clear role in Virat Kohli’s RCB side.
Following his Man of the Match effort against MI, Harshal Patel revealed the management has asked him to bowl a minimum of two overs at the death. That’s not the only thing expected of him, with Patel set to get more chances with the bat this season too. After years of spending time on the sidelines, Harshal Patel is eager to prove his worth as a player this season.
“I want to be a player who can play in any situation anywhere. It is up to the management to decide what roles they want me to play. But if they put me at any position in the batting order or the bowling order, I am happy to play that role. I definitely look at myself who can adjust to any situation and I want to get better at it. So I will keep working on it and whenever I am put in any situation and try and make a positive impact on the game,” explained Patel.
Harshal Patel batted at No.9 for RCB on the opening day, but that is down more to his inexperience in the IPL than his batting ability. He has played just 132 balls in the IPL to date, scoring at a rate of 137.50 with an average of 10.15 to boot. Although his role at RCB is demarcated to the tee, Harshal Patel referred to his exploits with Haryana as a testament to his versatility.
“I wanted to be a valuable player and a bowler who can bowl anywhere and a batter who can bat anywhere. So I do that for Haryana, I open for Haryana and I have had some success with that in the domestic competitions,” he said.
Buzzing after an electric start to the season, Harshal Patel is clear about his objectives for IPL 2021. After spending years in the wilderness, Patel just wants an opportunity to prove himself against the very best in the world.
“Obviously, you want to test yourself against the best names in the game. So, I am lucky enough to not have someone like Virat (Kohli) or AB (de Villiers) to bowl to. But there are other great players in the tournament KL Rahul, Andre Russell, Hardik and Pollard. All these guys are greats of the game, and when you test yourself against these guys you realise how good, adequate or inadequate you are. I look forward to bowling at these guys and hopefully coming out on top,” signed off Harshal Patel.
Harshal Patel certainly looked at home on Friday. Despite going for 15 in his first over, the RCB bowler came back strongly, picking up five wickets and conceding just 12 runs in his next three overs. The fact he managed to pick wickets of IPL stalwarts like Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard was the cherry on the cake. Harshal Patel has passed the trial by fire by proving his death over credentials against the Mumbai Indians.
He has ached for a crucial role in an IPL team for years now, and 2021 may finally be the season where Harshal Patel gets his wish. If the start is anything to go by, he is set to grab the opportunity with both hands.
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