This comprehensive analysis tracks the roller-coaster journey of Harshal Patel, detailing his bowling statistics and milestones across multiple franchises throughout his Indian Premier League career.
Harshal Patel IPL Wickets Year by Year (2012-Till Date)
| Season | Teams | Innigns | Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4W/5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | RCB | 11 | 9 | 2/24 | 37.77 | 8.29 | 27.3 | 0/0 |
| 2014 | RCB | 3 | 4 | 2/56 | 28.25 | 10.27 | 16.5 | 0/0 |
| 2015 | RCB | 14 | 17 | 2/12 | 19.29 | 7.48 | 15.4 | 0/0 |
| 2016 | RCB | 5 | 1 | 1/46 | 147.00 | 10.5 | 84.0 | 0/0 |
| 2017 | RCB | 1 | 3 | 3/43 | 14.33 | 10.75 | 8.0 | 0/0 |
| 2018 | DC | 5 | 7 | 3/28 | 23.85 | 9.54 | 15.0 | 0/0 |
| 2019 | DC | 2 | 2 | 2/40 | 38.50 | 9.62 | 24.0 | 0/0 |
| 2020 | DC | 5 | 3 | 2/34 | 44.66 | 8.93 | 30.0 | 0/0 |
| 2021 | RCB | 15 | 32 | 5/27 | 14.34 | 8.14 | 10.5 | 1/1 |
| 2022 | RCB | 15 | 19 | 4/34 | 21.57 | 7.66 | 16.8 | 1/0 |
| 2023 | RCB | 13 | 14 | 3/32 | 32.42 | 9.65 | 20.1 | 0/0 |
| 2024 | PBKS | 14 | 24 | 3/15 | 19.87 | 9.73 | 12.2 | 0/0 |
| 2025 | SRH | 13 | 16 | 4/28 | 26.87 | 9.8 | 16.4 | 2/0 |
| 2026 | SRH | 3 | 0 | – | – | 12.26 | – | 0/0 |
| Total | 119 | 151 | 5/27 | 24.32 | 8.92 | 16.3 | 4/1 |
Key Insights on Harshal Patel IPL Bowling Career
Early IPL Struggles and Breakthrough Seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore
Harshal Patel had a slow start in the IPL, making his debut for RCB back in 2012.
Except for 2015, he had quiet outings till 2020. The fact that he wasn’t a regular didn’t help his cause either.
Speaking of the 2015 season, Patel was the third-highest wicket-taker for RCB. He took 17 wickets at an economy of 7.48 in 14 innings.
His economy of 7.48 was the third-lowest among RCB bowlers. His bowling average (19.29) and strike rate (15.4) were also the fourth-best for RCB in 2015 (minimum 60 balls).
2016 turned out to be a horror for the right-arm seamer, who averaged 147, the worst by a bowler that season. His economy of 10.50 was the second-highest and his strike rate of 84 was the third-highest by a bowler in 2016 (minimum 60 balls bowled).
The poor run continued till 2020, with RCB releasing him after 2017.
In 2022, Patel was RCB’s third-highest wicket-taker, with 19 scalps in 15 innings. His average (21.57) and strike rate (16.8) were also the third-lowest for RCB that season.
In 2023, his performance dipped, taking just 14 wickets across 13 outings, meaning RCB released him after the season.
Sparse Opportunities at Delhi Capitals
Even at Delhi Capitals, Patel got opportunities sparingly.
From 2016 to 2020, he picked up just 16 wickets, one less than what he managed to take in 2015.
And those 16 wickets came at an economy of 9.7, the second-highest by a bowler in this period (minimum 300 balls bowled).
Incredible Purple Cap Glory and Historic Milestones
Patel bounced back in 2021. He claimed double the wickets that season, 32 to be precise, to win the purple cap for RCB.
His bowling strike rate of 10.5 was the second-best and his average of 14.34 was the third-lowest by a bowler in 2021.
He also delivered his best career figures right at the start of the 2021 season. He claimed five wickets for 27 runs against Mumbai Indians in Chennai.
Patel then moved to Punjab Kings in 2024 and delivered his second-best season. He ended up with 24 wickets in 14 innings to bag his second purple cap.
This made him only the third bowler, after Dwayne Bravo and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, to win the purple cap twice in the IPL.
From 2021 to 2025, he claimed 105 wickets in 70 innings, the most by a bowler in this period in the IPL. Only Yuzvendra Chahal managed to take 100 wickets in these five seasons.
His strike rate of 14.2 was the best and his average of 21.23 was the second-best by a bowler in the IPL between 2021 and 2025.
Patel also bagged the second-most four-wicket hauls in this period, with five such spells to his name.
Recent Campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad
In 2025, Patel was the joint highest wicket-taker for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He took 16 wickets in 13 innings, including two four-wicket hauls.
