I Prepared Myself Mentally: Harpreet Brar Opens Up About His Match-Winning Spell Against RCB In IPL 2021

Punjab left-arm orthodox Harpreet Brar recently opened up about his fairytale encounter against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the now-suspended 14th season of the Indian Premier League where he dismissed the trio of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers as his first three wickets of his IPL career.

Brar, who had gone wicketless in all three games that he played across the last two seasons of the IPL, revealed how he prepared himself mentally on the eve of the game after he was apprised that he would be playing against RCB.

The rookie left-arm orthodox revealed that he was focused on not giving too many runs and lull the batsmen into making a mistake.

And, the ploy worked to the hilt for Harpreet Brar. He dismissed Virat Kohli, who after an aimless dance down the track, failed to judge the length of the ball, eventually seeing his stumps castled.

Brar then followed it up with a jaffa against Glenn Maxwell as he got the ball rip past the Australian’s outside edge and knock over his off-stump, leaving Maxi absolutely gobsmacked.

He did not get the hat-trick, but Harpreet Brar managed to strike gold in his very next over as he dismissed AB de Villiers, who in an attempt to cut the spinner past the cover region, managed to hit him straight to the short-cover fielder.

‘’On the eve of the match, I was told to be ready. That night I prepared myself mentally – thinking about how I would bowl to each batsman. I didn’t want to concede too many runs because in my earlier game [in the 2020 IPL], I had ended up going for 40,” Harpreet Brar told ESPNCricinfo in an interview.

“I knew if I could restrict the runs, wickets would come automatically. I told myself if Virat Kohli is on strike for the next over, I have to be extra careful. I didn’t want to concede another boundary on the first ball.” he added.

Harpreet Brar eventually finished with figures of 3/19 in four overs and he was rightfully adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning contribution.

There is a saying that good things happen to people who wait and for someone like Brar, who had learned the aforementioned fact very early in his life, it was a reflection of his years of hard work and patience.

Life has taught me to wait for your chance. I had only thought of taking one wicket. I never thought of taking Virat Kohli’s wicket, or AB de Villiers’, or Maxwell’s,” Brar said.

“It was only after the game when I was sitting alone in my room, that I realized that there were three main wickets and I got all three of them. As they say, when God gives, he gives in abundance. You need to keep working hard and have patience.” he added.

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