Harshal Patel leaves Haryana, returns to Gujarat for 2025-26 domestic season

Indian seamer Harshal Patel has ended his long association with Haryana cricket and signed with Gujarat for the upcoming 2025-26 domestic season. The move comes days after another Haryana stalwart, Jayant Yadav, confirmed his switch to Puducherry.

Harshal has completed all formalities and will be available for Gujarat’s pre-season preparations, which begin later this month with a tri-series involving Baroda and Saurashtra. The pacer will, in fact, be returning to his roots. Born in Gujarat, Harshal made his List A debut for the state in the 2008-09 season after impressing in junior cricket. However, after returning from the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, he struggled to secure opportunities with Gujarat and moved to Haryana to further his career.

The switch proved fruitful as Harshal went on to make his first-class debut for Haryana in the 2011-12 season. Over the next decade, he became a cornerstone of their bowling attack across formats. In 74 first-class matches, he has picked 246 wickets at an average of 24.02, including 12 five-wicket hauls.

His white-ball exploits have been equally impactful. Harshal played a pivotal role in transforming Haryana into a competitive force in the shorter formats and was instrumental in their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph in the 2023-24 season.

The experienced right-arm seamer, also known for his IPL success with Royal Challengers Bangalore, will now look to add depth to Gujarat’s bowling unit. His arrival strengthens the side’s ambitions in both red-ball and white-ball formats as they prepare for a competitive season ahead.

"Right from 2010-11 since my Under-19 days, almost the entirety of my professional career has been with Haryana, I owe a lot to them. If that move to Haryana as an 18-year-old hadn't worked out for me I would have probably moved to the USA and not played cricket in India,” said Harshal to ESPNcricinfo.

Harshal divides his time between the USA, where he has extended family, and Ahmedabad, where he resides. His decision to switch comes at a stage when he feels the need to prioritise time with his young family alongside cricket commitments. While another team had approached him, he first explored the possibility of returning to Gujarat, a move that ultimately materialised.

"It was getting difficult for me to be away from the family for long periods of time. So I wanted to come back and see if I could finish my career here. Glad I got an opportunity to do that," said Harshal.

"I first asked Anil Patel [secretary, Gujarat Cricket Association] and he was gracious enough to say, 'this is your home, welcome back.' Having come back, I'm open to play everything and anything that the team wants me to play. While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I'm only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket,” he added.

Harshal has not been a first-class regular over the past two seasons, featuring in only seven red-ball games during that time. However, he is satisfied with where his body is at and remains eager to return to the grind should he be picked.

"My body allows me to bowl 20 overs in a day over two months or however long the Ranji Trophy season is; it doesn't bother me. I love the grind. The goal has always been to play the best cricket that I can play for as long as I can irrespective of the format," Harshal said.

The 34-year-old remains an IPL regular and enjoyed a strong season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, claiming 16 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 9.80. He last featured for India in January 2023, his 25th T20I, and is currently not in the national mix.

"My India selections and IPL and all of these things have come as a byproduct of that mindset of giving it my best wherever I play. My motivation has nothing to do with whether I'll play for India or not or whether I'll play IPL or not. My motivation has everything to do with whether I still have the hunger to go to the ground and bowl 10-15 overs in a day, and if I can do it over a period of two-three months. And the answer is yes,” said Harshal.

At Gujarat, Harshal hopes to bring his experience to a side currently in transition under head coach Ramesh Powar. Gujarat are set to begin their Ranji Trophy campaign against Assam in October.

"I'm pretty excited to see what I can add here to the team's betterment. That's what I spoke about with Ramesh bhai and Axar [Patel] recently. If I can contribute in some way to the development of players, mentor them and help them in their journey, there'll be no bigger satisfaction,” said Harshal.

"As far as my own journey is concerned, I've always asked myself how I can be the best player I can be. That has kept me going for all these years, and it still keeps me going. My training consistency is probably better than it has ever been. I've been really lucky and I've been really fortunate that I don't have that financial anxiety anymore [thanks to the IPL]. So now that factor is taken away, the only thing that still pushes me is I want to play this game because I love playing this game,” he added.