Harshal Patel: From working at a perfume store in the US to disguising batters with his trickery
Sunrisers Hyderabads Harshal Patel and Pat Cummins celebrate a wicket during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 T20 cricket match against Chennai Super Kings. (PTI)
New Delhi:
Harshal Patel
loves Bob Dylan. Be it Dylan's most political song, "Masters of War," in the backdrop of the Vietnam War, or "Mr. Tambourine Man," he can play those on his guitar. He relates most to "Blowing in the Wind," and the line that hits him the most is, "How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?"
Like Dylan's songs, there is a music to Harshal's bowling as well. His strides into the crease are rhythmic, the unhurried gather and release, and the note-perfect release of his deliveries. The curl, the dip, the swerve, the cutters, and the change of pace he produces have disguised the best in world cricket. He was once told by AB de Villiers that he finds him the toughest to put away.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
On Friday night at Chepauk, he managed to outsmart some of the cleanest strikers of the game, plucking 4/28, and returned with the player-of-the-match award. The 34-year-old wily customer has been the lone bright spot in Sunrisers' dismal season. He has picked up 13 wickets in eight matches so far.
We have to improve dramatically in all three facets: Daniel Vettori
There are few bowlers who have mastered the art of disguising batters with their variations. Lasith Malinga was a natural at that because of his slinging action. Jasprit Bumrah, too, is blessed with a unique action. Dwayne Bravo acquired it over time. And like the Trinidadian, Harshal Patel, too, has bagged a handful of wickets with his slower ones and cutters.
Harshal, who has been entrusted with death-bowling duties by all the franchises, has never backed down from the fight. He has been taken to the cleaners. The most notable instance was Ravindra Jadeja smoking him for 37 runs in an over, including five sixes. It came in the season he ended the league with 32 wickets, joint most with Dwayne Bravo for most wickets in any season.
Since 2021, Harshal Patel has picked up 102 wickets in 66 matches, the most by any bowler in the IPL. His Haryana teammate Yuzvendra Chahal is second-best with 93 scalps. Patel was pivotal for RCB from 2021 to 2023, picking up 65 wickets in 43 games, but was released. The seamer was roped in by Punjab Kings for ₹11.75 crore and delivered with 24 wickets in
IPL
2024, but the Mohali-based franchise decided to release him as well.
Harshal Patel's cricket sojourn has been topsy-turvy. After years of domestic grind, the former India U-19 cricketer was among those picked in 2021 by the Indian selectors as the they moved away from India's archaic approach in T20Is. He, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Varun Chakravarthy, were among those drafted by then chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma to bring a fresh approach to India's T20I cricket. While Surya is now India's T20 captain, Varun has recently made his comeback, but Rahul Chahar and Patel never saw consistent opportunities.
Patel's bowling is conducive to low and slow pitches. In the 2021 World T20 in Dubai, he was initially drafted as a net bowler. But soon he became a regular and in the span of fifteen months from November 2021 to January 2023, he played 25 matches for India in T20Is and picked up 29 wickets before being left in the cold by the selectors.
Over the years, he has churned out one death-over masterclass after another, but he has never been the one to consistently receive unwavering support. Patel has had an eventful journey, one laden with rejection and dejection, doubts and setbacks, but from which he emerged stronger every time.
Right from a young age, he has found it tough. He was 17 when he, along with his parents, moved to the United States. His father used to work 'six and a half days a week and had his own share of struggles in a foreign country.
"I used to work at this Pakistani guy's perfume store in Elizabeth, New Jersey. I used to get paid $35 a day. I couldn't speak a word of English because I had studied in a Gujarati medium throughout," he once said on the show Breakfast with Champions.
Poll
Do you believe Harshal Patel will get another chance in the upcoming T20 World Cup?
No, he won't
Yes, definitely
With the next T20 World Cup happening in India and Sri Lanka, where the surfaces will suit Harshal's bowling, it would be interesting to see whether he will get another chance or not. But Harshal Patel is a lesson to all those who give up on sports all too easily. For long, he was thrust into the wilderness but retooled his game to bounce back and seize his day, like he did in Chennai on Friday night.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Zeeshan eyeing another dominant season
Lucknow: After the mini-auction, players are gearing up for the third edition of the UPT20 League 2025, which is likely to begin in August. Zeeshan Ansari , the highest wicket-taker of the previous edition — a performance that opened doors to the Indian Premier League for him — is all set to shine once again. Zeeshan, who was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Rs 40 lakh, took 6 wickets in 10 matches in this year's IPL season. Responding to a question about whether he feels any pressure to perform in this season of the UPT20 League, Zeeshan said, "I don't play under pressure or for records. If I keep doing what I've been doing, I believe things will turn out well. My approach is going to be the same, whether it's the IPL or the UPT20 League." Speaking about the UPT20 League, the Lucknow-based leg-spinner said, "In my opinion, it's a huge platform for every player. If you perform well, you will be noticed. Around 10–12 players from Uttar Pradesh have managed to make it to the IPL." Zeeshan further emphasised the importance of fitness in today's competitive cricket. "The main thing is to stay fit throughout the year. I've worked with IPL trainers and have now hired a personal trainer for myself." When asked to compare the IPL with the UPT20 League, Ansari said, "The difference is mainly about pressure. In the UP T20 League, there's less pressure and a smaller audience. But in the IPL, there's a huge crowd, and people expect you to perform. It's all about how well you handle the pressure." "To be honest, I couldn't play to my full potential because it was my debut season. Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd even make it to the playing XI," he added. On playing domestic cricket, Zeeshan said, "Domestic cricket is crucial. Performing in domestic cricket isn't easy. Even if you do well in the IPL and get noticed, taking wickets in the Ranji Trophy shows your true calibre." When asked about his preparations for this season after being the highest wicket-taker in last year's UPT20 League, he said, "My goal is to bowl well and be at the top again," he signed off.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
IPL winner Jitesh set to leave Vidarbha, move base to Baroda
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: After playing a key role in RCB's IPL triumph a month back, Jitesh Sharma is set to leave Vidarbha. Sources said that the big-hitting wicketkeeper-batter, who justified his Rs11 crore price tag with a string of stellar shows, will play for Baroda in the next domestic season. A source informed that Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) on Friday received a request for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Jitesh. A player has to obtain a NOC from his home association for shifting base to a new team. Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) officials confirmed that Jitesh will be joining their team in the next season. After making his First Class debut for Vidarbha in October 2015, Jitesh got just 18 matches in the longer format in the last one decade. Many feel he is a much better player than the number of First Class matches he got to play for Vidarbha. "Same was the case with his leadership quality. Vidarbha never fully utilised his captaincy skills. It was only after his exploits in the IPL, first for Kings Punjab and RCB in the last edition, that he has finally managed to command respect — which he always deserved — within the Vidarbha setup," a source said. Punjab Kings were the first to appoint Jitesh as vice captain and then captain in 2024 IPL. Before that Jitesh never got any leadership role in Vidarbha's senior cricket. Post the IPL, Jitesh led Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and took the team to quarterfinal stage. In Vidarbha's next tournament, Vijay Hazare Trophy, he played under Karun Nair. SARWATE TO PLAY FOR CHHATTISGARH Former Vidarbha allrounder Aditya Sarwate, who played for Kerala last season, confirmed that he will move to Chhattisgarh for the upcoming season. The left-arm spinner and solid lower-order batter said that due to family commitments he wanted to move to a team based near Nagpur. "My move to Chhattisgarh has been finalised. I look forward to the new challenge after a fruitful outing with Kerala," Sarawate told TOI. Sarwate's allround performance had propelled Vidarbha to twin Ranji Trophy titles in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Last year, Sarwate was one of the standout performers for Kerala as they made it to their first Ranji Trophy final. The title clash, played at Nagpur, saw Vidarbha clinch their third Ranji Trophy on the basis of first innings lead. Sarwate had snapped 40 wickets in his first and only season for Kerala.
The Print
6 hours ago
- The Print
Death of horses at Jabalpur farm: MP HC seeks detailed report from collector by Jun 25
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf directed the district collector to file a report with regard to the physical condition of each of the horses along with a report on the environment in which they have been kept as well as availability of food, water and shelter. Three horses had died at the farm in the last few days, while eight had died in May reportedly due to heat. Jabalpur, Jun 20 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday directed the Jabalpur district collector to file a report by June 25 on the condition of horses kept in a farm in Raipura village. The collector shall also file a status report with regard to the horses that have died and the reasons for their death, the bench said. The court issued the direction while hearing of a petition filed by Jabalpur-based animal activist Simran Issar alleging that one Sachin Tiwari brought 49 horses from HithaNet India Private Limited in Telangana capital Hyderabad and had kept them without documents pertaining to ownership, vaccination, medical history etc. 'Sachin Tiwari has been made respondent in the petition for illegally transporting horses from Hyderabad to Jabalpur in violation of provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act. Sachin Tiwari is associated with Suresh Paladugu of HithaNet India Private Limited,' the petitioner's counsel Umesh Tripathi told PTI. HithaNet India Private Limited started an online horse racing betting venture exclusively for Philippines that it ran from Hyderabad Race Club under the title of UnThose Matchup Racing in October 2023, Tripathi said. Jabalpur collector Deepak Saxena had told reporters on June 19 that a committee had been formed under the chairmanship of the district panchayat chief executive officer to find out whether proper care was being taken of horses. PTI COR LAL BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
