Had Enough Confidence That If I Got Opportunities, I'd Make Most Of It - Harshal Patel

Indian bowler Harshal Patel was grateful to former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper, Virat Kohli after the latter assured him that he would be having Harshal in his team in every single game of the IPL 2021 season.

Harshal ended up as the purple cap winner with 32 wickets, a joint record for the most wickets in a season that he now shares with Dwayne Bravo. Revealing that he had enough self-belief, Harshal stated that an opportunity was all he needed to make things happen.

“I looked at it as a great opportunity. Every time something like this happens, there’s uncertainty. You can hope for the best and see how you can contribute best.

“The moment I was traded, Virat messaged me saying, “You’re going to play all the games.” That gave me a lot of confidence – that here’s a captain who is giving you that assurance. I had enough confidence that if I got opportunities, I’d make the most of it.”

“I always believe whatever happens in the IPL, whether someone retains you or lets you go, you shouldn’t take it personally. Those decisions aren’t taken based on whether they like you as a person or not.

“It’s all about how you can contribute in that set-up, and if they felt you can’t contribute the way they want you to, then you’re not valuable to them anymore and you’re being traded to a team that has asked for you and has a role for you,” Harshal mentioned to ESPNcricinfo.

Harshal Patel reveals what he learned watching Kohli and AB de Villiers play

Harshal said that he has never been someone who asks questions but he instead tries to observe how Kohli and de Villiers carry themselves in tough situations and try to learn that attitude and inculcate it in his gameplay.

“I’ve been a silent observer of them. I don’t believe in asking a lot of questions, just seeing them closely, what their routines are, what their body language is under pressure, how they carry themselves when they do well, how they carry themselves when they don’t do well.

“These are the things I learned from my first big stint with RCB,” Harshal revealed.

Harshal wasn’t retained by RCB but he will attract a lot of bids in the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auction.

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