Harshal Patel to miss 2022 Asia Cup due to side strain, doubtful for T20 World Cup

Team Indi has faced a setback as fast bowler Harshal Patel has suffered a side strain, ahead of the 2022 Asia Cup. This could leave the pacer out of the race to make the squad for the continental tournament. The squad is expected to be announced on August 8, and the competition will commence on August 27.

Harshal is currently with the Indian team in the United States (US) for the last two T20Is of the ongoing five-match series. He has not featured in any of the four matches but has travelled with the Indian team for every T20I series so far in the year. He last appeared in England for the three T20Is and picked up four wickets. He was also a favourite to book a spot in the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. However, due to injury concerns, he has been ruled out of the ongoing series and is set to miss the action for a while. 

Harshal Patel could miss T20 World Cup

According to a Cricbuzz report, Harshal might require about four to six weeks of rest, followed by rehabilitation, before he could be fit to play again. This also means that the chances of the pacer making the T20 World Cup squad could also be in jeopardy. It now all depends on how fast he recovers, and he could be asked to join the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Harshal is known for being a prolific wicket-taker and an effective death-over bowler with his subtle variations such as cutters and slower balls among many others. He has played 17 T20Is so far and picked up 23 wickets with a strike rate of 14.6 and an average of 20.95. He has also bagged 51 wickets in the last two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Harshal’s absence could make way for fast bowlers such as Deepak Chahar, who has been sidelined since February due to injury issues. Chahar has already been picked for the ODI squad that will travel to Zimbabwe for three ODIs.