Team Bangalore bowler, Harshal Patel, on Friday, April 9, became the first-ever player to pick five wickets against Team Mumbai in the Indian T20 League history.
The pacer achieved the feat in the fourth ball of the final over when he got the better of Marco Jansen with a sumptuous delivery. The 30-year-old, who was one of the players alongside Daniel Sams to have arrived in Bangalore in a trade from Team Delhi, had a horrific start to his 2021 Indian T20 League season, conceding 15 runs in the first over.
By the end of his second over, he had conceded 22 runs while dismissing Hardik Pandya. A wicket of Ishan Kishan in the 18th over was eventually followed by what could be the best bowling effort of Patel’s career.
Ball by ball account of Harshal Patel’s death over vs Mumbai
19.1: Patel gets the better of Krunal Pandya at deep midwicket.
19.2: Patel dismisses Kieron Pollard at deep square.
19.3: Dot ball
19.4: A slower yorker sends Jansen back to the pavilion.
19.5: Dot Ball
19.6: Mumbai attempts two but Rahul Chahar is run out.
"You can't look at the opposition all the time. You must focus on your planning and execution," Patel said during the innings break. "It was very clear from the beginning that I would bowl two at the death, but luckily I got three. This is my first five-wicket haul in T20s. Feels good that it's come against Mumbai."
Patel, in the final over of the innings, gave away a solitary run and became only the third bowler after Praveen Kumar and Dale Steyn to do so. Meanwhile, it is the 11th instance where a bowler has picked three wickets in the 20th over in the Indian T20 League.
After conceding 22 runs in two overs, Patel finished with figures of 5/27 in four overs. His brilliant bowling effort also made him the first bowler to take a five-fer in the opening game of the Indian T20 League. Furthermore, he is now the first uncapped player to pick a five-fer and the first Bangalore bowler in eight years to do so.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IPL
