IPL 2021: Explained - Why Harshal Patel Was Allowed To Continue Even After Bowling Two Waist-High Full Tosses

On Wednesday, the 6th match of the IPL 2021 between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad was decided in the last over, in which pacer Harshal Patel kept his nerves for most of the over to see his side home safely.

However, Harshal Patel, who had taken a five-wicket haul in the opening game against Mumbai Indians, bowled one bad ball in the last over, which could have cost RCB the match.

With 13 required off 4 balls, the seamer delivered a waist-high full toss to Rashid Khan, which the batsman managed to hit over the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. The ball was deemed a no-ball for being over the waist height; it was the second above waist no-ball by Harshal Patel, having bowled one already to Jason Holder in the 18th over.

An animated David Warner, the SRH skipper, was seen gesturing in the dugout to the 4th umpire perplexed as to why the bowler wasn’t taken out of the attack given his second offence.

Reason: the rule states that a bowler will be removed if he bowls 2 “dangerous” no-balls. However, in this case of Patel, the second one was deemed “dangerous”, but the first offence to Holder was not, as it was down the leg side, away from the body of the batsman, and therefore he hadn’t received any warning for it.

Hence, Harshal Patel, who ended up with 2 wickets in the game and now holds the purple cap with 7 scalps, was allowed to continue bowling in the last over.

These things shouldn’t happen, they are basic mistakes: Harshal Patel

The 30-year-old seamer, after the game, revealed that his palms were sweaty and hence the ball slipped out of his hand. But he then admitted that it was his mistake and that such things shouldn’t happen at this level.

“I was sweating and the sweat came on the palms. But obviously, it’s not an excuse. These things shouldn’t happen, they are basic mistakes. They shouldn’t happen in pressure situations, and I’ll try and make sure it doesn’t happen next time,” Harshal Patel said after RCB’s 6-run victory.

Virat Kohli’s side leads the points table with 2 wins in 2 games; they will take on Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday afternoon.

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