3 reasons why PBKS signing Harshal Patel in IPL 2024 auction is a good move

Harshal Patel has been signed by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ₹11.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. The fast-bowling all-rounder made his name in the T20 franchise tournament after he picked up 32 wickets and won the Purple Cap in IPL 2021.

Patel's breakthrough campaign a few years ago led him to be considered one of the best death bowlers in the country due to his variations and cutters. He also got a good amount of game time in T20Is for India, where he picked up 29 wickets in 25 matches. However, he was on the expensive side and hasn't been in the scheme of things for a while now.

In the past, Harshal Patel has been with the Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Delhi Capitals (DC). His best time in the IPL came in the last three seasons with RCB, where he was one of the highest wicket takers among Indian pacers.

Here are three reasons why Harshal Patel being signed by PBKS in the IPL 2024 auction is a good move:

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#1 Lack of quality death bowlers

There is a serious dearth of pace bowlers who specialize in bowling in the death overs, and Harshal Patel is one of them. The 33-year-old is renowned for bowling a majority of his overs after the 10-over mark, which is always a skill in demand for IPL franchises.

PBKS have a good bowling lineup, but the likes of Sam Curran and Kagiso Rabada have been expensive at the death in recent times. Hence, Harshal and Arshdeep Singh, the latter of whom also bowls well during the 16-20 over period, will bowl the bulk of the death overs.

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#2 PBKS have a strong bowling unit

PBKS retained the majority of their core group of players ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. This meant they already had Rabada, Curran, Arshdeep, and Rahul Chahar as four of their main bowling options. Harshal completes the jigsaw and makes it a well-rounded bowling unit now.

With Liam Livinsgtone also in the side, they have all their bases covered when it comes to pace as well as spin departments. A bowler who can bat like Shardul Thakur or Harshal Patel would have made perfect sense for them, and they got one of those two fast-bowling all-rounders.

Patel is the superior bowler when compared to Thakur. He has picked up 65 wickets in 43 matches in the last three IPL seasons. Considering he mainly bowls during the slog overs, a career economy rate of 8.59 in the IPL is commendable.

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#3 Harshal Patel provides batting depth

With Sam Curran and Harshal Patel, PBKS now have very good batting depth. They could lineup with the two all-rounders at number 7 and number 8, respectively. Previously, they had to rely on players like Rishi Dhawan and Harpreet Brar to provide the finishing touches.

Although Thakur went to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for just ₹4 crore, Harshal is still a solid buy for PBKS. They have most of their bases covered. As long as they can beef up their batting in the remainder of the auction, PBKS will have one of their strongest XIs in recent times.