Full circle for Harshal Patel: Gujarat sign him for upcoming domestic season

New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): India bowling all-rounder Harshal Patel is set for a fresh start as he returns to his roots, signing with Gujarat for the 2025-26 domestic season. The move comes right after Jayant Yadav's departure from Haryana, marking another significant exit for the state, as per ESPNcricinfo.

All the formalities have been completed, and Harshal will be available for Gujarat's pre-season training, which kicks off later this month with a tri-series involving Baroda and Saurashtra.

This transfer is like completing a full circle as he was born in Gujarat, he made his List A debut for the state back in the 2008-09 season after a strong run in the Under-19 circuit. However, opportunities were limited, and after returning from the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, he switched to Haryana to pursue better chances.

It was with Haryana that Harshal truly made his mark. He debuted in the 2011-12 season and went on to become one of their most dependable players across formats. Over the years, he has taken 246 wickets in 74 matches at an average of 24.02, including 12 five-wicket hauls. Harshal also played a pivotal role in Haryana's rise in white-ball cricket, helping them secure their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2023-24 season.

"Right from 2010-11 since my Under-19 days, almost the entirety of my professional career has been with Haryana, I owe a lot to them," Harshal said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"If that move to Haryana as an 18-year-old hadn't worked out for me I would have probably moved to the USA and not played cricket in India," he added.

Currently dividing his time between the USA, where he has extended family, and Ahmedabad, where he resides.

Interestingly, Harshal had offer from another team but wanted to give Gujarat the first preference and they were more than happy to welcome him back.

"I first asked Anil Patel (secretary, Gujarat Cricket Association) and he was gracious enough to say, 'this is your home, welcome back.' Having come back, I'm open to play everything and anything that the team wants me to play," he said.

"While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I'm only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket," he noted.

Although he hasn't been a regular in first-class cricket recently, featuring in just seven red-ball matches over the past two seasons, Harshal feels his fitness is in good shape and is eager to get back to longer formats if given the chance.

"My body allows me to bowl 20 overs in a day over two months or however long the Ranji Trophy season is; it doesn't bother me," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"I love the grind. The goal has always been to play the best cricket that I can play for as long as I can irrespective of the format," he noted.

At 34, he remains an Indian Premier League (IPL) regular and is coming off 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he picked up 16 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.80. While he last played for India in January 2023 and isn't currently in the national setup, a comeback isn't something he's actively chasing.

"My India selections and IPL and all of these things have come as a byproduct of that mindset of giving it my best wherever I play," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"My motivation has nothing to do with whether I'll play for India or not or whether I'll play IPL or not," he noted.

"My motivation has everything to do with whether I still have the hunger to go to the ground and bowl 10-15 overs in a day, and if I can do it over a period of two-three months. And the answer is yes," he added.

With Ramesh Powar as head coach, Gujarat is going through a transition phase, and Harshal hopes to use his experience to guide and support the team.

"I'm pretty excited to see what I can add here to the team's betterment," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"That's what I spoke about with Ramesh bhai and Axar (Patel) recently. If I can contribute in some way to the development of players, mentor them and help them in their journey, there'll be no bigger satisfaction," he added.

"As far as my own journey is concerned, I've always asked myself how can I be the best player I can be. That has kept me going for all these years, and it still keeps me going. My training consistency is probably better than it has ever been," he noted.

"I've been really lucky and I've been really fortunate that I don't have that financial anxiety anymore (thanks to the IPL). So now that factor is taken away, the only thing that still pushes me is I want to play this game because I love playing this game," Patel said. (ANI)

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