A surprise package in the IPL was the performance that Harshal Patel gave for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. The RCB team has for long been mocked for their performances or the lack of it in the IPL competition. This is a team that has been fancied quite a lot and has not been able to deliver. EE SAALA Cup Namde has been their motto for long and while they expect the cup every year, they never deliver.
This season was no different in terms of expectations as they had their reserves stocked and their pockets emptied with the signing of the likes of Glenn Maxwell adding to their already impressive list of resources with players such as Virat Kohli, AB Devillers and bowlers like Mohammad Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal already a part of the team. However, Harshal turned out to be an unlikely hero for their team and was the difference maker for his team. For his team he has already picked up 17 wickets in just 7 games at a mind-boggling average of 15. His best figures include a 5-wicket haul in the first game where he picked up 5 for 27 against the Champions Mumbai Indians. His economy rate has however been on the higher side which is primarily due to that one game where he was taken to the cleaners and let 53 go off his bowling against the Punjab Kings team and had the Universe Boss Chris Gayle take him to the cleaners.
He is at the top of the ipl best bowlers 2021 pile with respect to the wicket takers and that is primarily due to the variations in pace that he was able to generate. Harshal isn’t the most gifted when it comes to his physical built and his pace. He is however what many would call a street-smart operator and takes wickets through his art of deception. He does have all the tricks in his armory and can bring them up as and when required. He can use his slower balls to good effect particularly in the end overs when the batsmen are looking to go after him. This is when he becomes dangerous and deceives batmen who end up holding out in the deep.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi one can expect Harshal to be successful as the boundaries are bigger and the pitches aren’t exactly the best for batting in the sense that the ball doesn’t come on to the bat that well and doesn’t quite flow off the bat once the ball gets older. This is where the bowlers like Harshal come in to being. With the field back, the batsmen can then go on hitting the fielders when the ball doesn’t come on. There is however a threat for him on grounds such as Sharjah where the boundaries are barely 60 meters and the ball can travel off the bat and off the edges. He does however add an additional dimension on such grounds too as he is a more than useful hitter down the order. A proof of that is the innings that he had played in the game against Punjab Kings where he had scored 31 of 13 balls.
He isn’t a one trick pony though. A lot of his wickets have come as direct dismissals where he has bowled the batsman with the deception that he has created. Even on the flat pitches, at times it is deception that is the best ally of the bowler. So, expect Harshal to continue his form to Dubai and be an asset for RCB.