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Out-of-favor India pacer Harshal Patel is most likely to play for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2027 season as his present franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), is set to break the knot with him, ahead of the mini auction, which will be held on December 16, 2026, in Goa.
On Saturday (November 14), Cricinfo reported on the potential deal between GT and SRH. If the deal materializes, then it will be Harshal Patel's fifth team in the league since making his debut in the Indian Premier League in 2012.
Harshal Patel joined SRH in 2025 for INR 8 Cr.
SRH bought Harshal Patel for INR 8 crore ($0.89 million approx. then) at the mega auction in 2025. In the season, the fast bowler played 13 matches; in the following season, he got to play only five matches as the franchise opted to rely on their emerging pacers in the like of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.
While Hinge and Hussain left positive impressions through their bowling performances, Patel was unimpressive, as he conceded an economy rate of 10.82, taking no wickets in five matches and as many innings. In the previous season, where he bowled in thirteen matches and 13 innings, he took 16 wickets with an economy rate of 9.80.
Harshal Patel claimed two Purple Caps in IPL
At one point of his career, Patel was considered as one of the most valuated Indian bowlers, who claimed the Purple Cap twice in his IPL career for taking most number of wickets. In his debut season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021, the right-arm seamer took 32 wickets in 15 matches and 15 innings with an economy rate of 8.14 and a best bowling figure of 5/27.
During IPL 2024, with the Punjab Kings, he claimed the Purple Cap again for taking 24 wickets in 14 innings, with an economy rate of 9.73 and a best bowling figure of 3/15. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, he left Punjab and entered the mega auction, where he got SRH as his next destination.
Harshal Patel's price tag reduced drastically
If he joins GT for the IPL 2027 season, his price tag will be reduced by half compared to his previous price tag when he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad. According to media reports, SRH has agreed to do an all-cash deal with the Gujarat Titans for Harshal Patel for INR 4 crore ($US 424,000 approx.).
Patel will definitely help in increasing the pace bowling depth of Gujarat,t as the franchise already has established pacers like Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Jason Holder. But the question is, why is GT interested in signing a player who is well past his prime? On previous occasions, they tried to take him into their squad but were never able to do so.
For Patel, it could be a good move as he will be able to play for his home team. He moved to Gujarat to play domestic cricket from Ahmedabad a few years ago.
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