"Lottery lag gayi bhai" - Harshal Patel discloses the text from Virat Kohli after getting picked by RCB at 10.75 cr
Having made his debut in the 2012 season of the Indian Premier League, Harshal Patel came into recognition in 2015, when he picked up 17 wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 15 matches. But it took him another five years to make his name at the biggest T20 tournament in the world. During these five years, he played just 18 games in total. The 32-year-old began his career with the Bangalore-based franchise before being traded to the Delhi Capitals in 2018.
He then played three seasons (2018, 2019, and 2020) for DC and was bought back by RCB in 2021 at a price of INR 20 lakhs. That became the biggest turning point of his career. His graph just went upwards from there. Harshal picked up 32 wickets in the season and ended up winning the "Purple Cap." He was also the main reason for RCB qualifying for the playoffs. However, he was released ahead of the auction by the franchise, but everyone knew that he was the hot asset in the auction.
And eventually, he was one of the costliest players at the auction, and it was RCB who bought him at a hefty price of INR 10.75 cr. During a show called "Breakfast with the Champions" with sports presenter Gaurav Kapoor, Harshal shared the moment when his name came up for auction. He said that compared to the last auction, this time was the complete opposite as RCB was the first to make a bid and that within the first few seconds.
He said that it was the RCB head, Prathamesh Mishra, who raised the paddle, and after that, there were a few franchises who were interested in him. The 32-year-old added that once the big went past 6-7, his wife told him that it would go into double figure as well, to which he replied, "Anything above 7 cr is yours."
Harshal also revealed his conversation with RCB's former skipper, Virat Kohli. He said that Kohli messaged him after the auction and congratulated him on getting a big contract. The 32-year-old also said that it was not the amount but his hard work and dedication that paid off for him.
He pointed out that he was in the room and got a text from Virat, quoting, "Congrats on winning the lottery." Harshal replied to him, acknowledging that he had won the lottery (auction price) and that it was beyond his expectations. Virat then replied, "Very well deserved. You’ve given the prime of your life to something, and then it bears fruit after so much up and down. That is the most gratifying thing for me."