Virat Kohli gives you space to do your thing: Harshal Patel

Not a lot was talked about Harshal Patel when Royal Challengers Bangalore traded him from Delhi Capitals. Fitter, wiser and more competent - he returned to a familiar setting, where it had all started for him. Over the last few years, the pacer has got limited opportunities. When the IPL was called off indefinitely at the halfway point, the list of highest wicket-takers was led by a man who had received very little attention prior to the season. Such is the beauty of IPL. He made an impactful return for the Royal Challengers, picking 17 wickets at an average of 15.12 in just 7 matches. His outstanding performance has garnered widespread attention. Hours of hard work has finally paid dividends. 

In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times,  Harshal Patel opened up on his eventful journey this season. 

“Yes. I am not comparing (myself) with anybody on that list because they are all great bowlers. At the same time, I know my skills are in the same region. I am not very far behind them. They have been very consistent over the years. This is the first year when I have been put into these pressure situations and done well.”

It is safe to say that the 14th edition of the tournament belonged to the uncapped players. The Indian Premier League has always offered a platform for uncapped players to showcase their abilities. The likes of Chethan Sakariya, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad have all showed glimpses of their talent. The Haryana pacer stated that the gap between international cricketers and uncapped players has been closing as a result of the opportunities provided by the IPL.

“The gap (between domestic and international cricketers) has been closing because of IPL. Whatever pressure you are exposed to in (international) cricket, it is pretty much the same in IPL as well. I have heard people who have played international T20 say that IPL is a tougher place to bowl. I haven’t had that experience so I can’t speak for myself…. If you get used to these kinds of situations, and if you get used to keeping a cool head in these tournaments, then all that experience will help you graduate to the highest level,” he said. 

He recalled an heartwarming gesture from the skipper Virat Kohli that instilled confidence in him. “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.“ 

The 30-year-old praised Kohli's captaincy and stated that he always allows bowlers to stick to their strengths. 

“He 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. Whenever we are unable to execute, or we stray from our plans, when we sit for the review the only talk is about what do we do to stay on the path, how do we stay in the mindset to execute more often than not. We don’t let any other noise come into that environment.”

[Hindustan Times]