Harshal Patel, the Royal Challengers Bangalore paceman, recalled an incident that hurt him badly and spurred him on to perform exceedingly well in the recently suspended IPL 2021.
Harshal was one of the brightest performers of the 14th edition of the IPL, which was recently put on an indefinite pause due to a surge of COVID-19 positive cases and multiple bio-bubble breaches.
Harshal made his IPL debut back in 2012, but it wasn’t until this summer that he really made heads turn among the wider Indian fanbase and experts.
The right-arm quick from Haryana started the tournament in stellar fashion, taking a five-fer in RCB’s victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at Chepauk. In a fantastic comeback season, Harshal remained at the top of the wicket-taking charts throughout.
The 30-year-old quick bagged 17 wickets from 7 innings at an average of 15.11. Harshal made an inspiring return to the RCB camp after two seasons of largely warming the benches for Delhi Capitals. He collectively featured in just 7 matches and took 5 wickets from the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Harshal reflected on his journey during an interview with Hindustan Times and specifically touched upon an incident that deeply hurt him and pushed him on to work harder at his craft and become a more stand-out performer.
The incident is from the 2018 auction of the IPL where apart from DC, no other franchise made a bid in Harshal’s favour. It made him realise that whatever he is offering with the ball and bat, isn’t good enough as per the market standards. From that moment on, Harshal made a shift in his mindset and was no longer happy just being around.
“It is all individual work, right? It is your journey, people will come and lend you a hand or give you a few words of confidence but at the end of the day, you have to put in the work, be willing to fail spectacularly,”
“That is what I realized after the last season. In 2018 also, not getting a bid other than Delhi was a kick in the stomach. I realized whatever I was offering the market wasn’t interesting.”
“I needed to put myself in a position to win games for the team, which I was doing consistently at the domestic level. I just needed to have that change in mindset. That is what has happened probably in the last year-and-a-half,”
Harshal said.
Harshal also spoke on the unwavering support from RCB captain Virat Kohli, whose arm was always around his shoulders the moment he re-entered the setup. Patel said the moment he was traded from the Delhi franchise, Kohli sent him a message that instantly boosted his confidence and gave him clarity regarding his stature and position in the side.
“The moment I was traded, Virat sent me a message, “Welcome back, you are going to play here”. That made a big impact in my confidence, and I realised this is a team where I can finally showcase all my skills,”
he said.
Harshal also said Kohli gives his bowlers confidence and freedom on the field and isn’t harsh in case they miss their radar and aren’t able to execute their plans on occasions.
“He (Kohli) gives you the space to do your thing. Even if you don’t execute at times he understands better than anybody that on a batter’s day, if they get hold of a bowler, you are going to go for runs,”
Harshal concluded.
