India pacer Harshal Patel recalled his old days as a rookie bowler in the Indian Premier League franchise's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), saying back-to-back success in the Ranji Trophy matches made the way for him into the league.
"RCB approached me and asked if I was open to coming for their trials and of course, I had shown my interest. We went on to play the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy. I took eight-wicket hauls back-to-back and that is when Avinash Vaidya said Anil Kumble wants to speak to me, I was shocked. It took me a while to get back to my senses. They then offered me a contract and I was on board," speaking on the RCB Podcast, Patel said.
"10 years ago, it was the first time I got into the IPL, and again how I got into IPL is again a fascinating story. I was playing for Haryana, my first-ever Ranji trophy season. I had played five games and taken nine wickets so nothing fancy there. When we qualified and played against Karnataka, I took eight-wicket, and it gave me the confidence to perform at that level," he added.
