Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Harshal Patel provided fans with an injury update ahead of the Eliminator match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday.
During RCB's last league game against the Gujarat Titans (GT), Patel injured his right hand while fielding.
In the 13th over of the Titans' innings, David Miller smashed a ball towards the pacer off the bowling of Wanindu Hasaranga. In an attempt to stop the ball, Harshal Patel split his webbing and later had to get stitches to stop the bleeding.
Providing an update on the injury ahead of the big game, Harshal said in a video released by RCB:
"Yeah, the hand is fine. The stitches came off today (24 May) and they taped it a little bit for bowling and it held pretty good. So, give it another 24 hours and I should be ready for the game."
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"Processes are going to be the same" - Harshal Patel
When asked if the IPL team has been doing something different to prepare for the playoffs, Harshal Patel said that they have been focussing on keeping the practice consistent. He further elaborated:
"We continue to do whatever preparations we have been doing for the last 14 games. Just because it is a playoffs game, it doesn't really mean that you try and do something different. Processes are going to be the same. Preparations are going to be the same.
"Whenever we turn up, we are going to make sure that we try and bring everything onto the field and do everything we can to win the game."
Harshal also said that the Mumbai Indians (MI) versus Delhi Capitals (DC) game pumped them up and the side hopes to do something special in IPL 2022. He added:
"That game definitely pumped us up and one step at a time, as they keep saying. But yeah, hopefully we go all the way and do something special."
Patel, who only bowled one over in the game against the Titans, has been one of the mainstays of RCB's bowling attack. He has picked up 18 wickets thus far in 13 games at an economy rate of 7.68.
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