IPL 2022: "At 22-23, If I Had Got 2 Or 3 Crores, I Would Have Probably Burnt It All"- Harshal Patel Ahead Of Auction

Harshal Patel was a surprise exclusion when the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) announced their retentions ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. While the RCB retained Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, and Mohammed Siraj, many expected the purple cap winner of IPL 2021, Harshal to be retained as well.

However, Harshal revealed that the RCB director of cricket Mike Hesson told him that the franchise couldn’t retain him for the IPL 2022 due to budget constraints and the bowler found himself in the IPL 2022 mega auction hoping for some other franchise and even RCB to bid big on him.

Harshal Patel came into the IPL in 2010 as a draft pick by the Mumbai Indians for ₹8 lakh. He was then picked up by the RCB outside the auction in 2012. After six years with the franchise, he was signed by Delhi Capitals at the 2018 auction for ₹20 lakh before being traded back to RCB in 2021.

I Would Have Made Bad Choices If I Had Gotten 2-3 Crores In IPL When I Was Young: Harshal Patel

Recently, talking to the RCB podcast, Patel remarked that had he got ₹2-3 crore in his early 20s via the auction, he would have “probably burnt it all” with his bad choices.

“At 22-23, if I had got 2 crore or 3 crore, I would have probably burnt it all. Obviously, I am a Gujarati so my family wouldn’t have let me do that (smiles) but as an individual, I would have made bad choices with that amount of money. Hopefully, next year that changes and I’ll be paid well and when I’ll have that money, I’ll know what to do with it and I won’t light it on fire,” Harshal said.

Harshal ended the IPL 2021 as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with a record-equaling 32 wickets from 15 matches at a brilliant average of 14.34. This led to him making his India debut against New Zealand in T20Is.

He was also named in the India squad for the West Indies T20I series which will be played in Kolkata from February 16.

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