Harshal Patel IPL Stats, Wickets, Price, Team, Salary & Career Records
Harshal Patel’s IPL story is one of the great redemption arcs in cricket. Written off as a backup seamer for nearly a decade, he returned to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021 and produced one of the finest bowling seasons the tournament has ever seen: 32 wickets, a Purple Cap and a hat-trick.
The right-arm seamer from Gujarat then did it again, winning a second Purple Cap with Punjab Kings in 2024. With his deceptive slower balls and ice-cold nerve at the death, Harshal turned himself into one of the most valuable Indian pacers in the league.
This article covers Harshal Patel IPL stats in full: season-by-season wickets, auction price and salary history, best performances, teams, playing style, international career and records.
Early Career and Long Wait
Harshal Patel was born on 23 November 1990 in Sanand, Gujarat. A right-arm medium-fast bowler, he moved to Haryana for better opportunities and became a domestic stalwart, known for his clever variations and tireless work ethic.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him in 2012, but he spent six seasons largely as a backup option. His best early return came in 2015 with 17 wickets in 15 matches, but he never held down a regular spot. In 2018, Delhi Daredevils bought him at his base price of twenty lakh rupees after no other franchise bid for him, an experience he later described as feeling like a betrayal.
Two quiet seasons at Delhi, with only five wickets in seven games, left his career at a crossroads. Few could have predicted what came next.
Harshal Patel IPL Stats by Season
His career numbers tell the story of a late bloomer who became a superstar.
| Season | Team | Wickets | Economy | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 17 | – | Best season before breakthrough |
| 2021 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 32 | 8.14 | Purple Cap, record 32 wickets |
| 2022 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 19 | 7.66 | Bought back for Rs 10.75 crore |
| 2023 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 | 9.66 | – |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | 24 | – | Second Purple Cap |
The 2021 season remains one of the greatest by any bowler in IPL history. Harshal took 32 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 14.34 and a strike rate of 10.56, equalling Dwayne Bravo’s all-time record for the most wickets in a single IPL season.
His 2024 campaign with Punjab Kings was nearly as impressive: 24 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.88, earning him a second Purple Cap and making him one of the few bowlers to win the award twice.
Wickets, Best Performances and Bowling Records
Harshal announced his 2021 season in the most dramatic way possible. In the tournament opener against Mumbai Indians, he took 5 for 27 including a hat-trick, the first ever by a Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler in the IPL. It set the tone for a season in which he seemed to take wickets every time he was thrown the ball.
His record of 32 wickets in a season, equalling Dwayne Bravo’s 2013 mark, may stand for years. What made it remarkable was how he took them: not with raw pace, but with slower balls, cutters and changes of pace that batters simply could not pick.
He is also one of the rare bowlers to win two IPL Purple Caps, in 2021 and 2024, putting him in truly elite company.
IPL Auction Price and Salary History
Harshal’s auction graph is the ultimate rags-to-riches story.
| Season | Team | Price |
|---|---|---|
| — | — | — |
| 2012 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 8 lakh |
| 2014 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 40 lakh |
| 2018 | Delhi Daredevils | Rs 20 lakh |
| 2021 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Traded from Delhi |
| 2022 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 10.75 crore |
| 2023 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 10.75 crore |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | Rs 11.75 crore |
| 2025 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rs 8 crore |
After his record 2021 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won an intense bidding war with Sunrisers Hyderabad to buy him back for 10.75 crore at the 2022 mega auction. Two years later, Punjab Kings made him the most expensive Indian buy of the 2024 auction at 11.75 crore.
At the 2025 mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for 8 crore after Punjab Kings used their Right to Match card and then pulled out at the final bid.
Teams: RCB Home, Then Punjab and Hyderabad
Harshal’s heart belongs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he spent 2012 to 2017 and then 2021 to 2023. It was in RCB colours that he produced his career-defining seasons and became a fan favourite.
His two-season stint at Delhi from 2018 to 2020 was forgettable on the field but important for his development. The move to Punjab Kings in 2024 brought a second Purple Cap and proved his 2021 season was no fluke. In 2025 he began a new chapter with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Playing Style and Strengths
Harshal Patel is the master of deception. Bowling in the mid-130s kph, he has built his entire career on slower balls: off-cutters, leg-cutters, knuckle balls and back-of-the-hand deliveries, all disguised with the same arm speed.
Batters know the slower ball is coming and still cannot pick it. His control of length is exceptional, and his ability to bowl wide yorkers and dipping slower balls at the death has made him one of the most trusted finishers with the ball in the league.
His style invites comparison with the very best death bowlers in the game. The yorker mastery of Jasprit Bumrah has set the gold standard for closing out innings, while the guile of Yuzvendra Chahal has shown how variation and courage can conquer the IPL. Among overseas quicks, Kagiso Rabada combined similar wicket-taking menace with genuine pace during his Delhi peak. Harshal belongs in that conversation on the strength of two Purple Caps alone.
International Career
Harshal’s record 2021 IPL season earned him an India T20I debut later that year. He went on to play 25 T20Is, taking 29 wickets, and was part of India’s squad at the 2022 T20 World Cup, though he did not make the playing eleven.
His international career never quite matched his IPL heights, with an economy rate of 9.18 in T20Is, and his last appearance in national colours came in 2023. But his domestic and IPL record ensures his place among the finest T20 bowlers India has produced.
Future Outlook
At 34, Harshal Patel is in the veteran stage of his career, but slower-ball bowlers often enjoy long careers because their craft depends on skill rather than pace. His move to Sunrisers Hyderabad gives him a new challenge and a bowling attack where his experience is highly valued.
Two Purple Caps already secure his legacy. If he stays fit, a few more productive seasons and a climb up the all-time IPL wicket-takers list are well within reach.
FAQs
When did Harshal Patel win the IPL Purple Cap?
Harshal Patel won the Purple Cap twice: in 2021 with 32 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and in 2024 with 24 wickets for Punjab Kings.
How many wickets did Harshal Patel take in IPL 2021?
Harshal Patel took 32 wickets in 15 matches in IPL 2021, equalling Dwayne Bravo’s record for the most wickets in a single IPL season.
What is Harshal Patel’s IPL salary?
Harshal Patel earns eight crore rupees per season. Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for Rs 8 crore at the 2025 mega auction.
Which teams has Harshal Patel played for in the IPL?
Harshal Patel has played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2012-2017, 2021-2023), Delhi Capitals (2018-2020), Punjab Kings (2024) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2025).
What are Harshal Patel’s best IPL bowling figures?
His best IPL figures are 5 for 27 against Mumbai Indians in 2021, a spell that included a hat-trick.
Did Harshal Patel take a hat-trick in the IPL?
Yes. Harshal Patel took a hat-trick against Mumbai Indians in the 2021 season opener, the first hat-trick by a Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler in the IPL.
Rivcky John
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