IPL: RCB vs MI, Harshal Patel bags maiden IPL hat-trick for Bangalore in Dubai
Royal Challengers fast bowler Harshal Patel etched his name in the record books on Sunday when he scored the first hat-trick in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in a 54-run win over the Mumbai Indians in Dubai.
It took 39 matches for the first hat-trick this season as Harshal got rid of Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Rahul Chahar to become the third RCB bowler achieve the feat after Praveen Kumar (vs Rajasthan Royals in 2010) and Samuel Badree (vs Mumbai Indians in 2017).
Harshal finished with 4 for 17 from his 4 overs, one less than his five-for performance against MI in their previous match this season in the opening game in Chennai in April.
RCB successfully defended 166 on a sluggish wicket to finally snap their losing streak and register their first win of the season in the UAE.
“I was thinking if the batters can’t pick my slower balls then the bowlers also will find it difficult to spot (referring to Chahar’s wicket that got him the hat-trick). I just bet on that.
“This is my sixth time being on a hat-trick and finally got one, so pretty happy. He (Pollard) is somebody who can do damage if you bowl in his areas, we wanted to take him wide and then once you drag him wide you have the option to bluff him, that came off really well.
“The way Siraj started, he’s someone who sets the tempo for us and the way Maxi and Chahal bowled in the middle overs were absolutely brilliant. They were under pressure at the death and we executed really well,” Harshal said after the match.
