IPL 2022 Auction: Predicting 3 new teams that Harshal Patel may play for

Harshal Patel won the MVP Award in the 2021 edition of the IPL (Image Source: Instagram)

With IPL 2022 Auction 15 days away, all eyes will be on Harshal Patel. The right-arm pacer was the Purple Cap winner and the Most Valuable Player of last IPL season. Surprisingly, the Royal Challengers Bangalore did not retain him ahead of the auction.

With all 10 franchises having loads of money in their auction purse, it should not be a surprise if Patel ends up receiving a jackpot deal at IPL 2022 Auction. He is a wicket-taking bowler who can turn the match at any moment. The previous season, Patel's wicket-taking abilities played a vital role in the Royal Challengers Bangalore's journey to the playoffs.

Harshal Patel was in good touch during the domestic season and also impressed the fans in his maiden international series. So far in his IPL career, Patel has been a part of Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore squads.

On that note, we will look at the three new teams that Patel could be a part of in 2022.

#1 Harshal Patel recently expressed his desire to play for Chennai Super Kings

"I would like to play for CSK IPL team." - Harshal Patel (To CricTracker)

Harshal Patel recently named Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the team he would love to play for in the IPL. One of the main reasons behind it was the presence of his favorite captain MS Dhoni in the team.

Apart from that, the pitch at Chennai's home venue will assist a bowler like Patel. MA Chidambaram Stadium was the venue where Patel became the first player in IPL history to take a five-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians during the previous season.

The city and the stadium hold a special place in his heart. Since Harshal has decent batting skills as well, CSK can invest in his services because they love to have all-rounders in their squad. He could play Dwayne Bravo's role for the Super Kings.

#2 Ahmedabad IPL franchise

Harshal Patel was born in Sanand, Gujarat. He played domestic cricket for Gujarat before switching to Haryana. Since the Ahmedabad franchise has joined IPL ahead of the 2022 season, they could target a bowler like Patel to strengthen their bowling department.

Ahmedabad have signed a superstar from Gujarat - Hardik Pandya, hinting that they want to have some local flavor in their squad. Patel could be a perfect addition to the team given how he performed in IPL 2021.

#3 Rajasthan Royals

Presenting ➡️ The first three Royals of #IPL2022. 👊🏼

#RoyalsFamily | @IamSanjuSamson | @josbuttler | @yashasvi_j https://t.co/CrCGqWviwj

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have retained three batters in their squad ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. They need to form a fresh bowling lineup at the auction. IPL 2021 Purple Cap winner Patel could be a solid pick to lead the bowling attack.

With Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Chris Morris unavailable for IPL 2022, RR lost three top-quality pace-bowling all-rounders. They can offer a contract to Harshal at the auction and use him as an all-rounder for the upcoming IPL season. He could turn out to be a game-changer for RR.