'I have not been able to bowl yorkers' - Harshal Patel not wholly satisfied despite match-winning performance against CSK

Although Harshal Patel was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning spell against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday (May 4), he wasn’t really pleased with his performance. The right-arm pacer took three wickets and conceded 35 runs in his quota of four overs as Royal Challengers Bangalore ended their three-match losing streak, winning the contest by 13 runs. Notably, Patel gave away 17 runs in the last over of the game while taking the important wicket of Dwaine Pretorius.

As Harshal had 30 runs to defend in the last over, leaking some runs towards the end didn’t really help CSK. However, the 31-year-old reckons he could have bowled better and there’s room for improvement in his bowling. He stated that the slower balls didn’t trouble the batters much as he was taken to the cleaners at times.

I am glad I was able to come back: Harshal Patel

“I think in the first over, the slower balls I tried to bowl it into the wicket but it kind of floated onto the bat. I have been trying to improve my sequencing. I am glad I was able to come back. To both the left-handers, I was asked to bowl wide outside off so that they hit to the larger side of the ground,” Patel said in the post-match presentation.

Notably, Harshal in a recent interaction had revealed that the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers admitted his slower deliveries are almost impossible to read. However, the pacer is determined to execute his yorker to perfection as he hasn’t been able to do the same this season.

“When people are waiting for the slower balls, my hard length balls and my yorkers are released. Till now this season I have not been able to bowl those but hopefully will do it in the business end of the tournament,” he concluded. Notably, stakes were incredibly high in the game and RCB finally went back to winning ways after a string of losses. On the other hand, CSK’s chances of qualifying for the IPL 2022 playoffs are all but over.