Ripal Patel

Ahead of the 2021 IPL, youngster Ripal Patel is gearing up to rub shoulders with his childhood idol Steve Smith at the Delhi Capitals' (DC) camp. The Nadiad-born had said that he was looking forward to the opportunity with the DC team. He had added that he would look forward to work with Shikhar Dhawan and try to understand his psyche and how he manages to sport a smile on his face irrespective of situations. 

It was the presence of his Gujarat teammate, Axar Patel, who played a major role in shaping his career, Ripal is quite thankful for his contributions in his career. 

"I didn't do very well in the 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy and was disappointed. I spent the next year working hard on my game, and Axar Bhai was always around to encourage me, helping me with my game and workouts. It helped me gain confidence, and form just in time for the 2021 domestic season. I am grateful to Axar Bhai for his unending support, he was delighted to know that DC had picked me up," Ripal said.

It was only in 2019 that the 23-year-old back then broke into the domestic set-up. He couldn’t quite come up with substantial performances but his attacking approach with the bat was for all to see. He has already played some exceptional knocks coming lower down the order and it was his big-hitting abilities that made DC bid for him ahead of the 2021 IPL. Picked up for a sum of INR 20 lakhs, Patel is hopeful that he will make a standout appearance given Delhi’s knack of testing their Indian youngsters.

A self-proclaimed pinch hitter, Patel had stated ahead of the IPL that he is very confident about his batting prowess going into the tournament and will look to make the biggest impact possible.

(As of March 2021)