Urvil Patel had an evening to remember on Sunday. In the three games before facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the 27-year-old was getting starts with scores of 24 against Mumbai Indians and 17 against Delhi Capitals, but finally utilised them brilliantly against Lucknow Super Giants, registering the joint-fastest half-century in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the process, Urvil became the first batsman ever to smash six sixes in eight balls, rewriting the history books and providing the Chennai Super Kings with some blazing tempo in pursuit of 204 runs.
By the time he got out after scoring 65 off 23 balls, Urvil had already won plenty of fans over, but one individual he would be glad followed his knock was Virat Kohli. The RCB talisman, in Raipur, was warming up for his match against the Mumbai Indians, and was captivated by Urvil’s knock. As the TV aired the game live, Kohli, passing by, stopped and watched Urvil as he went about his business.
But while Kohli caught a glimpse of the batter in full flow, Urvil reserved his long list of ‘thank yous’ for several individuals who played a part in this journey. The chit celebration was for his father, whose relentless backing and unwavering support made Urvil’s dreams come true, but the batsman also made sure to mention MS Dhoni’s role behind his innings.
“When I spoke to Mahi bhai, after getting out in two matches. We were sitting together in the dressing room, and I asked him ‘I am getting out after getting starts. What should I do to convert it?’ He said just one thing, ‘I don’t doubt your skills, but I feel it’s in your mind, so just try to stay clear and try to hit the right ball at the right place.’ He is the first person I will thank for speaking to me. It made me feel good and confident about a good performance. He would be extremely happy today,” Urvil said after the match.
The Dhoni touch behind Urvil’s knock
Urvil received a heads-up from his captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, that the pitch is good to bat on, and although it was a little on the lower side, the moment the batter connected the first one for six, he knew he was going to have a blast. Urvil smashed five sixes in a row, but missed the sixth, and while he was a little upset that he missed emulating Riyan Parag’s feat, smashing eight sixes in 23 balls is no mere feat even in a high-scoring season as this.
“When I hit the fourth six, I thought that I could go six out of six. But when the sixth went for a four, I was a little unhappy because I tried to hit it hard. But at the end of the day, I felt good that this time I wanted to hit where the ball was. I didn’t think that I had to hit all the balls for a six. It’s very difficult to hit a six on every ball at this level,” Urvil added.
