"Mate, no way they are hitting this" - When Maxwell, AB, Virat hailed Harshal Patel for his slower balls
The resurgence of Harshal Patel in the IPL since the 2021 edition has been simply phenomenal. Having featured in the league for a decade, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowler finally got his breakout season last year when he picked up a staggering 32 wickets in just 15 games.
One of the most important changes that Patel made to his bowling was nailing his subtle variations, especially the slower balls. The deception in his slower deliveries was extremely difficult to decipher as he bamboozled the opposition batters and also a few of his teammates during their net sessions.
Speaking on the YouTube show 'Breakfast with Champions', Patel explained how T20 stars like Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli reacted to his slower deliveries. He said:
"AB, Virat and Maxi have said that (it is impossible to catch his slower ball out of the hand). So I bowled a few slower balls to Maxi and he comes out of the nets and says, 'mate, no way they are hitting this.' When people like him, Virat or AB say that, you think, 'if they are not seeing it out of the hand, who else can?' Huge confidence booster."
"I got my education in T20 bowling from Zaheer Khan" - Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel believes he improved as a T20 bowler due to the valuable inputs given by veteran Indian pacer Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer was a part of the RCB setup when a young Patel joined them in 2012. The 31-year-old explained how Zaheer used to help him construct an over. Patel stated:
"If I have to look at someone who legitimised slower ball, [it] was Zaheer Khan in the 2011 World Cup. The way he got people out with those knuckle balls was unbelievable to watch. I got my education in T20 bowling from him. I started with RCB in 2012 and he used to come up to me every single ball and tell me what I need to bowl."
Most wkts by a fast bowler for RCB in IPL
*Harshal Patel - 73
R Vinay Kumar - 72
Zaheer Khan - 49
Md Siraj - 45
S Aravind - 45 https://t.co/womcLHp3cm
Harshal Patel also revealed that even now he tries to pick the brains of the veteran pacer whenever he gets an opportunity. He added:
"I remember we were playing in Pune and he had told me not to bowl a slower ball, but I still bowled it and Robin Uthappa smashed me for a six over mid wicket. So he came up to me and (laughs) among all the other things he said, he also said 'Didn't I tell you not to bowl that?'
He added:
"I met him last year after the game and asked him a couple of questions. He said, 'Everything is going so well. How much more do you want to change it?'"
Like last season, Harshal Patel will once again play a crucial role if RCB are to go deep in the tournament. They are currently fifth in the IPL 2022 standings.