IPL 2021 | Selection in the Indian team is completely out of my hand, states Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel is in terrific form this IPL season. He has wreaked havoc with his bowling, picking 23 wickets from 10 games. The Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2021 was announced earlier this month and there were some surprising selections and omissions in the squad. 

Harshal was not selected in the 15 members Indian squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. Expressing his views on not being selected for the World Cup squad, the seamer has said that the team selection is not in his hands but he always tries to leave a positive impact on the game. 

"I don't have any regret anytime, the decisions I have taken in life have been taken as per my best ability at that time. And when it comes to selection, that is completely out of my hand, There is the only goal for me, whichever team I play, be it a club or IPL team, or when I will play for the country or when I play for Haryana, I try to put a positive impact in the game from whichever situation with ball or bat. That is my goal and it will remain my goal until I play cricket," he said in the post-match press conference.

Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians, Harshal registered a match-winning hat-trick in the 17th over of the Mumbai Indians innings. The seamer dismissed Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, and Rahul Chahar. Reflecting on his hattrick, Harshal said that he was short of words to comment. 

"First-time ever in my life, literally in my life, I have never taken a hat-trick even in a school game. In the IPL, I have been on a hat-trick almost, this was my sixth time on a hat-trick and this is the first time I have got it. So, absolutely, I don't know, it is difficult to explain, but it will take some time to sink in," Harshal remarked.

Coming into the second leg of the tournament, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their first two games against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings respectively. Speaking on how the franchise approached the game after two losses, the pacer said that the team is not looking at the points table and wants to play the same brand of cricket they played against Mumbai Indians.

"In terms of the team, we are not looking at the points table because, if you look at the points table, then your mind goes away from the process. The difficult thing for us was to overcome this inertia of two losses, which we have done in this game and we want to continue this momentum and we want to play this brand of cricket consistently," he explained.

Harshal Patel picked his hattrick against Mumbai Indians using the slow ball effectively. But according to the seamer from Haryana he bowls deliveries that suit the situation best. 

"But many times, the game dictates something else, like in Sharjah I try to bowl more slower balls, in Abu Dhabi when we had played, I had 80 percent quick deliveries. So, I always let the situations dictate what I am going to bowl, rather than thinking that I am a fast bowler and I need to bowl (more) quicker or slower balls without getting into the game. My stock ball is the one which the situation dictates," he revealed.

In the hat trick against Mumbai, Harshal dismissed Kieron Pollard for a score of 7 runs. The purple cap holder was satisfied with the way he set up Pollard for a wicket. 

"Because it was a bluff, because we had planned in the meeting, that a batsman like Pollard, can set up by bowling wide and then you can bowl a yorker at the heel, which he might miss. So, at that time, I felt that I (was) bowling the slower ball well and my square-leg was up, so rather than bowling a fast-paced yorker at its heel, I tried to ball a bit slow and that bowl was well bowled and he missed it,” Harshal said.

The 30-year-old cricketer is confident about his body and the bowling skills he possesses. The player said that the last three years have been breakthrough years for him and he is feeling confident about his body and skills,

"Last three years have been breakthrough for me, because some people bloom late and I consider myself to be one of those people, I definitely bloomed late,I am at a place in my career right now that I am feeling very confident about my body, my skill and whatever situation I will be put in, I'll just try and make a positive impact and I know for a fact that I have the skills to do that," he concluded.