Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has opined that Harshal Patel doesn’t get overawed bowling to anybody. Patel has taken giant strides as a death bowler in the last year and he has definitely grown in confidence.

The right-arm medium pacer had finished the previous season with 32 wickets and thus had bagged the Purple cap.

Patel didn’t have a great start to the season as he conceded 36 runs in his quota of four overs and took one wicket in the team’s opening clash against Punjab Kings. However, Patel bounced back stronger against previous season runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders as he returned with impressive figures of 2-11 in his allotted four overs.

Patel is known for his guile and accounted for Andre Russell and Sam Billings to help his team skittle out the opposition at 128. Furthermore, the 31-year old bowled two maiden overs against KKR. Thus, he became the second bowler in the IPL history to bowl two maiden overs after Mohammed Siraj.

Ravi Shastri said while talking to Star Sports, “I have had chats with him in the Indian team, he knows his bowling. He is confident and he is not overawed bowling to anybody. It looked as if he was spared for Andre Russell, which is a big thing. A lot of people can get overawed and intimidated.”

“He was very clear in his mind that he was going to bowl wide and he will take the pace off the ball and see how it goes after that. There has been a big improvement in his bowling and he understands his game and keeps it simple,” Shastri said.

Patel has a calm head on his shoulder, which is really important while bowling in the death overs. The bowler from Haryana has a potent slower yorker, which dips on the batsman and it is the most lethal weapon in his armory. The RCB medium pacer will look to continue the good show and he is going to hold the key for the Faf du Plessis-led team.

RCB will next lock horns against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.