I really wanted to come back and play for RCB: Harshal Patel opens up on his pulsating feelings during the IPL mega auction

Harshal Patel has always been the captain’s go-to man whenever it comes down to picking wickets or keeping the batters under a leash in the death overs. Known for mixing his pace and using the slow ball extremely efficiently, ‘Purple Patel’, as he is affectionately referred to by RCB fans, holds the record for most wickets taken in an IPL season by an Indian bowler.

In what was a major surprise for a lot of people, RCB let go of Patel just ahead of the mega auction in 2022. However, the franchise didn’t waste a single second and as soon as his name was announced, RCB expressed their interest in signing the pacer and were successful in landing the final bid to sign his services.

Talking on the latest episode of the RCB Bold Diaries Season 2, Harshal opened up about his expectations about whether he was going to bag a significant price in the preceding year’s auction. He said, “I was absolutely not expecting such an overwhelming price tag. My close friends asked me what my expectations were and I said probably INR 6 or 7 crore because I had looked at people in my category for the past three or four seasons but none of them actually made more money than that in the auction.”

He continued, “I thought that I can safely expect to make 5, 6 or 7 crore without hurting myself too much. However, a lot of people around me told me that it can go into double figures. I just didn’t believe them because I am a cautious optimist. So when that happened, it was a pleasant shock.”

Harshal further said, “I still remember that SRH and RCB were going neck to neck. It went over 10 crore and there was a lot of conversation going on. I really wanted to come back and play for RCB. I thought to myself, it is enough. I don’t want one more bet. I am okay with the money I have got and I just want to go back to RCB now.”