T20 isn't a nice place to be for a medium pacer. But Harsha owned this stage thanks to two things. His skill and his belief.
Lately one of those might have taken a hit. He broke into the Indian team on the back of a purple-cap winning IPL performance. But it didn't really work out. He got injured. He got dropped. He got replaced when Umran Malik had his own big IPL season.
All that can sow a little doubt in the mind. Even in one as mentally strong as Harshal. Then came this IPL season and he kept getting whacked. Pooran and Stoinis did a number on him in the last game.
Belief plays a huge role in a bowler's life in T20s. Belief is why Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still a death overs king. He took on Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana in the last game when they were on a rampage bowling just 130kph. He came out the winner because he had clear plans, to tuck them up, to upend their power game.
Harshal at his best used to do exactly this. To deny batters the use of their power. This season he hasn't had the same kind of luck, but here, this pitch is tailor-made for him. And he comes on and picks up a wicket immediately.
Gets it with a full toss too - but the thing with Harshal's full tosses is, they dip on you. You think you can get it off the middle, but in the end, they dip and go off the toe end. Abhishek Porel is gone. Capitals are 53 for 5 and both Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli go up to Harshal and give him a big hug. That tells you how important he is to this team and how much they value him being back in form.
Winning this game will do wonders to RCB. They spent loads it on the back foot. Frustratingly, they were pushed there after getting into seemingly invincible positions - Kohli getting to fifty and looking set and getting out. Maxwell pummelling the spinners, then suddenly getting out.
Winning a game where they looked unfancied is the greatest pick-me-up in sport.