Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir was extremely impressed with the debutant fast bowler Harshal Patel's unbelievable performance in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match T20I series against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday (November 19).
Patel earned his maiden India call-up for the ongoing three-match T20I series against New Zealand on the strength of stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021). He was the leading wicket-taker with 32 wickets in 15 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2021.
In the second T20I in Ranchi, the Haryana pacer was handed his maiden India cap by former fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, returning with impressive figures of 2/25 in his quota of four overs to play a role in India’s 7-wicket win over the Black Caps on Friday.
Gambhir said on Star Sports: “Harshal Patel was unbelievable. It never looked like he was playing his first game. I’m very impressed with his effort. That is what 8-10 years of first-class cricket and a fabulous IPL season can do to you.”
He added, “You play your first game for India; you know your game much better. You are no more a rookie and if you have done that in IPL, which is high-quality cricket, when you have had that kind of success, you come here and feel you can continue doing the same thing. That is what Harshal has done tonight. Really happy for him because he has delivered on the big stage today.”
Meanwhile, Patel said that it was a great feeling and an honor to represent the country. Patel said on Star Sports: “It's a great feeling playing for the country. I love the game and the ultimate goal for any player is to play for the country, it's an honor, it's a privilege and I'm not going to take it for granted.”
He signed off by saying, “Rahul (Dravid) sir has always told me that once you are done with the preparations, you gotta go out there and enjoy the game. I've reached here on the back of a good IPL, so it's a satisfying moment for me.”
