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Stats Analysis

IPL 2021 - Stats - A season of wickets for Harshal Patel

A statistical look at Harshal Patel's dream season with the ball

30 Wickets for Harshal Patel in the tournament, the joint-second most by a bowler in an edition of the IPL. Only Dwayne Bravo, with 32 wickets in 2013 for Chennai Super Kings, has taken more wickets than Harshal in an IPL season. Kagiso Rabada also bagged 30 scalps for Delhi Capitals during IPL 2020.
19 Wickets for Harshal while bowling at the death this season, including 11 in the 20th over alone. Only one bowler has taken more wickets in the death overs (17-20) of an IPL season - Bravo - with 21 wickets in 2015, and 20 of his 32 in 2013.
18 out of Harshal's 30 wickets came off slower balls as per ESPNcricinfo's data. He ended up with a wicket every 6.67 slower balls he bowled this season. Harshal did pick 12 wickets when not bowling the change-up, but conceded runs at an economy of 9.46.
27.56 Smart Wickets for Harshal in IPL 2021 as per ESPNcricinfo's Smart Stats, the second most for a bowler during the league stage, behind Avesh Khan's 28.42. Heading into the playoffs, Harshal has taken eight wickets more than any other this season, but most came at the death, especially in the 20th over, which hold less significance. While Avesh had six powerplay wickets, including five of opening batters, Harshal has been wicketless in the four powerplay overs he has bowled so far.
1 Harshal's 30 wickets are also the most for a bowler during the league phase of an IPL season, surpassing Lasith Malinga's 27 scalps in 2011. In all T20s, only one bowler has taken more than 30 wickets in a tournament before the knockouts - 31 wickets by Alfonso Thomas in the Friends Provident T20 Cup in 2010. Thomas did extend his tally to 33 wickets, the most by a bowler in a T20 series or tournament.
8.40 Harshal's economy rate in this season, the worst for a bowler in an IPL season while picking 25-plus wickets. In all T20 tournaments, only Naveen-ul-Haq (26 at 8.67) in the T20 Blast 2021 has taken 25-plus wickets at an economy rate higher than Harshal's in IPL 2021.
22 Wickets of right-handed batters for Harshal this season. He averaged 10.54 against them and took a wicket every 8.45 balls. However, against left-handers, he conceded runs at an economy of 9.75 and took eight wickets, one every 16 balls.
5 Instances of Harshal being on a hat-trick inthis season, including once against Mumbai Indians in Dubai, where he claimed his maiden hat-trick. No other bowler was on a hat-trick in an IPL season more often than Harshal. The previous most was four instances by Umesh Yadav in 2018, also for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo