Picture Credit: IPL
India and Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Harshal Patel talked about how his former captain Virat Kohli messaged him when he was picked up for a massive INR 10.75 crores in the IPL 2022 mega auction. While talking in an interview show, Breakfast with Champions, Patel revealed that Virat Kohli congratulated him and told him that he has won a lottery.
Patel was quoted saying, “I was in the room (2022 Auction time) and I got a message from Virat Kohli, 'Congrats on winning the lottery. I said 'yeah bro, won the lottery. Way beyond my expectations. And he said 'Yeah, very well deserved’.”
I felt that this is betrayal: Patel
The 31-year-old also talked about how he was promised by 3-4 franchises in the 2018 Mega Auction that they were going to bid for him. But no one other than Delhi bid for him and he felt betrayed.
“I just wanted someone to raise the paddle for me. It's not about the money, I just wanted to play. The ironic thing was there were at least 3-4 players from different franchises who said they were going to bid for me. But no one did. At that time, it felt like a betrayal, yeh toh jhooth bole hain, dhokha hua hai mere saath (they lied to me, I felt cheated). “
Mate, no way they are hitting this: Maxwell
Later in the interview, Harshal Patel then spoke on how Virat Kohli with AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell has praised his slower ball and described it as impossible to read.
“So I bowled a few slower balls to Maxi and he comes out of the nets and says, 'mate, no way they are hitting this.' When people like him, Virat or AB say that, you think, 'if they are not seeing it out of the hand, who else can?' Huge confidence booster."
