IPL 2024: Want to be as good as Jasprit Bumrah, says Purple Cap holder Harshal Patel

Punjab Kings medium pacer Harshal Patel said he wants to be as good as Jasprit Bumrah. Patel has been right on the money in the ongoing Indian Premier League while bowling in the death overs. The right-arm seamer is the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2024 with 22 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 19.45 whereas Bumrah has bagged 20 scalps in 13 games. 

Patel has bowled his stock delivery, slow dipping yorker, with great success in the ongoing season. The 33-year-old has bowled with an economy rate of 9.51.

Meanwhile, Patel returned with impressive figures of 2-28 against Rajasthan Royals in his quota of four overs as he accounted for Riyan Parag and Donovan Ferreira. Thus, he played an instrumental role in restricting the opposition to 144 after Sanju Samson decided to bat first.

“It’s been a see-saw battle. Bumrah is not just a competitor, he is someone I have always looked up to. I always aspire to be as good as him. It’s great that we are in this competition for the purple cap,” Harshal Patel said.

Speaking about his trademark dipping yorker, he said: “It is a difficult delivery to execute. But I have a lot of confidence in that delivery. I have to have the confidence to execute it in pressure situations. It’s that kind of a delivery where if you don’t have the feel you can’t execute it. It gives me so many options at the death.”

PBKS were able to register a five-wicket win after Sam Curran scored an unbeaten knock of 63 runs off 41 balls in the run-chase of 145. Curran also bagged two wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel and thus was awarded Player of the Match. 

Punjab Kings will play their last league stage match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday.