'When I was with you in hospital...': Harshal Patel pens emotional letter for late sister

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Harshal Patel on Sunday night penned an emotional note for his elder sister, who passed away on April 9. Patel, who made a comeback to the IPL 2022 on Saturday against Delhi Capitals (DC), remembered his late sister Archita Patel and named her as the reason for his return to the pitch. Earlier last week, the RCB pacer had left the bio-bubble after learning about the tragic death of his sister.

Harshal Patel made a comeback to the ongoing IPL season after exiting the bubble after the game against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 9. Patel missed his side’s subsequent clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 12. However, he made a return to the playing XI as RCB defeated DC on April 16. Following the game, Patel took to his official Instagram handle to pen an emotional note to his late sister expressing his heartfelt thoughts.

"Didi, you were one of the kindest and most joyful person in our lives,” Patel wrote sharing an image of him with his sister. “You faced incredible difficulties in life with a big smile on your face till your last breath. When I was with you in the hospital before I came back to India you told me to focus on my game and don’t worry about you. Those words were the only reason I could come back and take the field last night," he said.

"That’s all I could do now to remember and honour you. I will continue to do everything that made you proud of me. I will miss you every moment of my life, in good times and bad. I love you so much. Rest in peace jadi," Patel wrote. Many including his peers, teammates and fans rushed to the comments section of the post to express their condolences.

Harshal Patel RCB return

It is noteworthy that Patel’s return to the side is vital for RCB as their winning streak was halted in the game against CSK, which the pacer missed. Harshal’s absence hurt the team as skipper Faf du Plessis went out of options to control the rampaging CSK batsmen. Known for his variations and death bowling skills, Harshal is a vital part of RCB's game plan. The 31-year-old was IPL’s leading wicket-taker in the 2021 season with 32 wickets. With his return, RCB will look to continue its good run in the campaign. The side from Bangalore sits third in the table winning 4 from 6 games.

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