Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Harshal Patel on Sunday (September 26) took a hat-trick to help RCB beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 54 runs in the 39th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.
The Haryana seamer returned with the impressive figures of 4/17 in 3.1 overs and was well supported by Glenn Maxwell (2/23) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/11) to restrict Mumbai Indians (MI) to 111 inside 18 overs as RCB successfully defended 165 in the IPL 14 contest in Dubai on Sunday.
Following RCB’s massive win over MI, Patel has opened up about his non-selection for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 despite a consistent run in the ongoing IPL 2021.
Harshal said at the post-match press conference, “I don't have any regret anytime, the decisions I have taken in life have been taken as per my best ability at that time. And when it comes to selection, that is completely out of my hand.”
He added, “There is the only goal for me, whichever team I play, be it a club or IPL team, or when I will play for the country or when I play for Haryana, I try to put a positive impact in the game from whichever situation with ball or bat. That is my goal and it will remain my goal until I play cricket.”
It was his maiden hat-trick and the seamer said it will take time to sink in. The RCB star added, “First-time ever in my life, literally in my life, I have never taken a hat-trick even in a school game. In the IPL, I have been on a hat-trick almost, this was my sixth time on a hat-trick and this is the first time I have got it. So, absolutely, I don't know, it is difficult to explain, but it will take some time to sink in.”
On his bowling tricks in the UAE conditions, Harshal mentioned: “But many times, the game dictates something else, like in Sharjah I try to bowl more slower balls, in Abu Dhabi when we had played, I had 80 percent quick deliveries. So, I always let the situations dictate what I am going to bowl, rather than thinking that I am a fast bowler and I need to bowl (more) quicker or slower balls without getting into the game. My stock ball is the one which the situation dictates.”
Describing Kieron Pollard's wicket as “very satisfactory”, Patel said: “Because it was a bluff because we had planned in the meeting, that a batsman like Pollard, can set up by bowling wide and then you can bowl a yorker at the heel, which he might miss. So, at that time, I felt that I (was) bowling the slower ball well and my square-leg was up, so rather than bowling a fast-paced yorker at its heel, I tried to ball a bit slow and that bowl was well bowled and he missed it.”
The 30-year-old further said of RCB’s run in the ongoing IPL 2021, “We are not looking at the points table because, if you look at the points table, then your mind goes away from the process. The difficult thing for us was to overcome this inertia of two losses, which we have done in this game, and we want to continue this momentum and we want to play this brand of cricket consistently.”
Harshal is currently the Purple Cap holder with 23 wickets in 10 games so far in the ongoing IPL 2021 and the bowler said he was feeling confident about his body and skill at the moment.
He signed off by saying, “Last three years have been a breakthrough for me, because some people bloom late and I consider myself to be one of those people, I definitely bloomed late. I am at a place in my career right now that I am feeling very confident about my body, my skill, and whatever situation I will be put in, I'll just try and make a positive impact and I know for a fact that I have the skills to do that.”
(With PTI Inputs)
