Fast bowler Harshal Patel had numerous moments to cherish in 2021. He had a dream Indian Premier League (IPL) in which, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he ended up as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 32 scalps. His outstanding performance in the league saw him earning a call-up for New Zealand T20Is in which he fulfilled his dream of donning the blue Indian jersey.
Harshal shared the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers who have been two strong pillars of RCB for years. Sharing the dressing room with them is a privilege for many budding cricketers and the right-arm quick says he admires the duo for the way they play under pressure.
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“It’s pretty normal, to be honest. I don’t get star-struck. Even I remember my first year in IPL, I was never star-struck. I just admire them for what they bring onto the field, the kind of people they are, the level of skill they have and their ability to stand up in pressure situation and say: “I am going to bring the team out of this difficult situation.” That’s what I have learnt from those two guys,” Patel said.
Despite having a great run in the IPL 2021, the RCB decided against retaining him for the next season. However, the right-arm quick is keen to get back to the side once again.
“When I was not retained, Mike Hesson (RCB’s Director of Cricket) called me and said, that it was mainly purse management. They would obviously love to have me back in the team and I too would obviously would love to go back and play for the team because RCB and this season (2021) changed my entire career and my entire life. However, in terms of auction, I haven’t heard from any franchises yet,” Patel told Cricktracker.
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