Delhi Capitals' all-rounder Harshal Patel talks about his interactions with Ricky Ponting and Sourav Gangly as he prepares for the IPL 2019 season.
Harshal Patel with Ricky Ponting (Pic/ Delhi Capitals)
All-rounders in India are a rare breed and Harshal Patel is one of them. From representing India U-19 to making consistent and impactful performances in the Ranji Trophy over the years and now an all-rounder with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, Patel has come a long way. A memorable debut for Haryana in the 2011-12 season made everyone sit up and take notice of his talent. He garnered eyeballs while famously smashing Dwayne Bravo for four sixes in the 2018 IPL. He can tonk the ball hard and can hit some unplayable lengths in his spells but by his own admission, he’s not done yet.
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In this exclusive, Patel opens up about his evolution as a player, what it takes to brave the IPL waters, and the influence of Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting in the dressing room.
This would be your second season with Delhi. What’s the takeaway from your first season and how do you plan to make an impact this time around?
The approach is same as last year’s, to keep things simple and work on the basics. I just want to put myself in pressure situations, be it in bowling or batting. I want to have the management consider me as someone who can be relied upon and can bail them out from tough positions. The way I finished last year, I do have a bit of advantage in the way they look at me. I just want to build on it, keep doing what I did last year and start really well this year too.
How have the training and gelling sessions been as a unit so far this season?
We have been together for 6-7 days now. We had a practice game and a day off in between. We have gone through some intense sessions. Team bonding sessions have been excellent. Everybody is finding their way into the team, trying to get used to the environment, trying to find what their goals are, and where do they fit in to play those roles. I think all this will fall in place in Mumbai where some of our international players are going to join us.
From staying alone without your family in Ahmedabad, playing India U-19 and now IPL, how has the entire journey been?
I believe I have come a long way as a cricketer and a person to be honest. Having said that, I do have a long way to go. In my opinion, I have a lot more potential than what I have achieved. I just want to continue to work towards my goal and make sure the mistakes I made are not repeated.
You are an all-rounder and it is always a very important skillset. How do you plan to use it to scale up the ladder?
Being an all-rounder is a skillset which will always be in demand because you have one player who can do a job of two. It will always be a valuable commodity. At the same time, you have to realize it’s not an ‘either or’ kind of a situation. You have to take more pressure than other players in both departments of the game. You have to learn to deal with it. It’s a privilege to be in a position where I can make a difference.
What do you have to say about Ricky Ponting as a mentor?
I worked with Ricky last year. He is somebody who will make sure whenever you get an opportunity you are ready to play. If you want to bat for an hour or you want to do some extra practice all alone, he will give it to you. A fierce competitor himself, he brings that attitude into the team.
How important is the mental conditioning in IPL? Do you think pressure builds with every passing game?
That is really tough to manage because if you play Ranji Trophy you can deal with the physical demands. In IPL you are pampered to an extent. When you take a flight, you directly go to the gate, don’t’ have to check-in your luggage or gather it and take it to your hotel room. You just have to get on to the plane and go to your hotel. These things are easier but the mental aspect is more intense. There is so much at stake and literally no room for error. If you screw up a game, you have to learn your lessons and quickly move on. If you keep dwelling on it, you are playing in another 36 hours. If you carry any baggage into the next game, you are bound to fail. You have to be mentally strong and keep yourself focused.
What do you make of Delhi Capital’s chances this year?
Every time you enter into a tournament, you want to win it. Playoffs is obviously the target to start off with. Personally, I have a lot of confidence in our team. We have India’s most talented batsmen, guys like Rishabh, Prithvi and Iyer. Shikhar bhai coming into the team brings a load of experience. Our foreign players like Rabada, Boult, Morris, and Munro are in tremendous form at the international level presently. Their presence is definitely going to boost us. We have a really good chance of winning the tournament if we make the right decisions and click as a unit.
How excited are you to have Sourav Ganguly on board as an advisor? Did you have any interactions with him yet?
He is often walking around in the nets, giving a little bit of advice here and there. Just having a personality like him is a big plus and very few people carry such an aura. When you are around him, you feel confident. You feel you can do anything you want. He is one of those guys who will give you confidence whether he speaks to you or not. He’s a great addition.
What are your thoughts on India’s chances during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019?
If you would have asked me this question three months ago, I would have said India is definitely going to win. They have now a massive competition in England and Australia. It’s going to be an exciting World Cup for me as a spectator. From a player’s point of view, there will be a lot of high-quality cricket. India is still a very strong contender but they will definitely have to play out of their skins to actually win the World Cup, and playing England in English conditions is always challenging.
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