[By Ajay Motiwala Sports Correspondent]
Mumbai: For the past few days, not Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh or Yashasvi Jaiswal, but young batter Urvil Patel from a Patel family in Mehsana has become the talk of the town. Gujarati cricketers have a tradition — if one player on the international stage is going through a lean patch, another rises to prominence. At present, while Hardik Pandya is struggling for form, his elder brother Krunal Pandya is showcasing his talent. Similarly, when Ahmedabad’s world-class fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s star appears slightly dim, young Mehsana batter Urvil Patel’s star has started shining brightly.
It was only two days ago. On Sunday, Urvil Patel took the cricketing world by storm after smashing a record-breaking, match-winning half-century for Chennai against Lucknow in the IPL. That day, Patel power played a major role in knocking Lucknow out of the playoff race.
Born in October 1998, Urvil Mukeshbhai Patel had already left a strong impression in domestic cricket with several outstanding innings, and now he has begun making headlines in IPL stadiums as well. Before Sunday’s match, Chennai were languishing in the lower half of the points table, but Urvil’s explosive batting lifted them into the top five. The way he struck the ball left Chennai fans stunned. With the help of seven sixes and one four, he completed his half-century in just 13 balls and entered the record books.
For the past three years, the record of scoring an IPL fifty in just 13 balls belonged solely to Yashasvi Jaiswal, and now Urvil has joined him. Out of his 50 runs, 46 came through boundaries and sixes. At a time when world-class batters like Sanju Samson are scoring at strike rates around 200, and even a legend like Virat Kohli has suffered back-to-back ducks, Urvil smashed Lucknow bowlers at a strike rate of 282.60 and made Chennai’s victory easy with a memorable knock of 65 runs.
A right-handed batter and wicketkeeper, Urvil had developed a passion for cricket from a very young age and decided to turn that hobby into a professional career. He received tremendous support from his family, especially from his father Mukeshbhai. Mukesh Patel himself has been associated with sports for many years. Having excelled in university-level running races in the past, he now works as a Physical Training (PT) teacher at a school in Mehsana. Since Urvil’s childhood, he instilled athletic discipline in him, and over time Urvil developed into a top-class domestic batter. Mukeshbhai also serves as his mentor and fitness coach.
Urvil entered the T20 arena through a tournament in 2018. As time passed, he began performing consistently in domestic cricket and earned opportunities with state teams. After making his debut for Baroda and later representing Gujarat, Urvil faced a setback in 2023 when Gujarat Titans released him from their squad. However, the very next day he answered in style by smashing a 41-ball century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and registering his name in the record books as India’s second-fastest centurion in List-A cricket.
In 2024, no franchise picked him in the IPL auction, but once again he proved his ability. Representing Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he blasted a century in just 28 balls. Even today, that feat remains the second-fastest century in T20 cricket history. Chennai Super Kings bought Urvil for Rs 55 lakh in 2025, and since then he has gradually established himself in the IPL.
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Having already scored more than 3,200 runs in domestic cricket, Urvil Patel possesses exceptional batting skills. More importantly, under the guidance of cricket legend MS Dhoni, he has learned how to make his bat do the talking again during difficult phases. Recently, after failing in two consecutive matches, he sought advice from Dhoni. Dhoni simply told him, “I do not doubt your talent even one bit. You just need to remove the mental blockage in your mind. You must strengthen your confidence and walk onto the field with complete self-belief again.”
That advice from “Mahi” proved to be a lifeline for Urvil, and he soon rediscovered his form. After his explosive 65-run innings on Sunday, expectations from Urvil have risen significantly as Chennai chase a playoff berth. Hopefully, this top-order batter will guide Chennai into the playoffs, justify Dhoni’s faith in him, bring glory to Gujarat, and soon earn a place in the Indian team.
