Harshal Patel has carved a niche as one of the most effective death-overs specialists in the TATA IPL, built around deceptive slower balls and dipping yorkers. A veteran of over 100 matches with more than 150 wickets, he has consistently found ways to disrupt batters in the latter stages of an innings. After beginning his IPL journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2012 and later moving to Delhi Capitals, Harshal hit peak form on his return to RCB in 2021. That season, he delivered one of the most remarkable bowling performances in IPL history, claiming 32 wickets — the joint-highest in a single edition — including a hat-trick against Mumbai Indians. The performance earned him a place in India’s T20I setup. Since then, his value has only risen, reflected in successive high-value deals across franchises. He won the Purple Cap again with Punjab, bagging 24 wickets in 2024. Sunrisers Hyderabad secured him for ₹8 crore ahead of the 2025 season, where he accounted for 16 wickets. Harshal will once again be central to SRH’s bowling plans in IPL 2026.