18 Patels who played international cricket

Patels are spread all over the world. They have made a name for themselves in different walks of life and cricket is no exception. Here is a list of 18 Patels who have played for different international teams. 

1.  Munaf Patel, India

Munaf Patel burst onto the scene as a genuine tearaway in 2006 — rushing the batsmen with his brisk pace. However, as the years progressed, he cut down on speed and focused on line and length. A hero of the 2011 World Cup, Munaf made those nagging seamers his strength as he provided good support to Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. An injury on the tour to England halted his international career in 2011. Four years down the line, he only plays domestic cricket and lives in his village, Ikhar in Gujarat. It seems unlikely that he would add more international caps to his 13 Tests, 70 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals.

2.  Parthiv Patel, India

The baby-faced wicketkeeper batsman walked into international cricket at the age of 17 in 2002 and was a part of India’s 2003 World Cup squad. Parthiv Patel’s encouraging performances won him acclaim, but his wicketkeeping fell away and he was axed in 2004. MS Dhoni’s presence effectively shut the door for other aspiring wicketkeeper-batsmen, save for the odd game. Parthiv has made sporadic comebacks since then, particularly in ODIs, where his batting seems to have developed into an attacking mould. A Gujarat stalwart, Parthiv has also played for six Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.

3.  Dipak Patel, New Zealand

An off-spinning all-rounder, Dipak Patel shot to limelight when Martin Crowe made him open the bowling during the 1992 World Cup. Born in Kenya, he played for Worcestershire in county cricket and represented New Zealand in 37 Tests and 75 ODIs. Patel is now a coach and is currently guiding Papua New Guinea.

4.  Jasu Patel, India

Jasu Patel, the man who bowled India to its maiden Test victory over Australia in 1959, is the first cricketer to be honoured by the Padma Shri. In that memorable game at Kanpur, he snared 14 Australian wickets — nine of them in the first innings to help setup victory. It was one of the biggest moments for Indian cricket back then and it remains his claim to fame in an otherwise unspectacular seven-Test long career.

5.  Axar Patel, India

Axar  Patel is in the Ravindra Jadeja mould — an attacking lower-order batsman, tight left-arm orthodox and an electric fielder. Axar’s breakthrough came in 2014 when he was named the Emerging Player of the Tournament in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was soon drafted into the Indian team and held his place through to the 2015 World Cup — posing a stiff challenge to Jadeja for the all-rounder’s spot. Axar’s arrival has reduced India’s dependence on Jadeja as they have more options.

6.  Brijesh Patel, India

A domestic giant for Karnataka, Brijesh Patel failed to live up to his potential at the highest level and faded away after 21 Tests and 10 ODIs in the 1970s. He did have a few memorable moments in international cricket, the standout being the short innings of 49 not out in the then record run-chase of 406 against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain. He also smashed 82 in India’s inaugural ODI in England. Post retirement, he turned to administration and has been at the helm at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) numerous times.

7.  Jeetan Patel, New Zealand

Jeetan Patel was picked by New Zealand in 2005 as an off-spinner, who could turn the ball quite a bit. However, he only played 19 Tests, 39 ODIs and 11 T20Is before committing totally to Warwickshire. He is also a useful batsman with two First-Class tons to his credit. Following a successful 2014 county season, he was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2015. His international days may be behind him, but he continues to serve Warwickshire well.

8.  Samit Patel, England

Often ridiculed for his bulky physique, Samit Patel is nevertheless a useful all-rounder. He is an aggressive batsman and can bowl important overs with his left-arm spin. As a youngster, he made his name in junior cricket and earned a county debut as a teenager. In First-Class cricket, he has over 9000 runs and 200 wickets, making him one of the leading all-rounders in England. However, he mainly been regarded in limited-overs cricket by England and has only featured in five Tests. Fitness issues have also kept him out of the senior side.

9.  Ashok Patel, India

An off-spinning all-rounder who played for Saurashtra, Ashok Patel represented India in eight ODIs in 1984-85 at the back of a strong domestic season. He drifted away from domestic cricket in 1988-89.

10.  Rashid Patel, India

Rashid Patel was an all-rounder who represented India in a Test and an ODI, failing to score a run or take a wicket in his two appearances. Unfortunately, he is remembered for an unsavoury incident involving Raman Lamba during a Duleep Trophy game, where Rashid chased the Delhi stalwart with a stump in hand. He was banned and played for a few seasons after that incident. His son Zafir was picked by Delhi Daredevils a few years ago.

11.  Minal Patel, England

India’s 1996 tour of England is etched in memory for it saw the arrival of Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid at Lord’s. That tour also saw Minal ‘Min’ Patel, a left-arm spinner turn up for England. Born in Bombay (as it was known then), he played for Kent and made it through to the highest level after a seven-year long toil in domestic cricket. He only played two Tests and was discarded, going on to serve Kent for another decade. Sanjay Manjrekar is his only Test wicket.

12.  Brijal Patel, Kenya

Brijal Patel’s career record makes a very poor reading. He played international cricket for close to five years, but averaged only 16.36 in 31 ODIs. In First-Class cricket, his numbers are even worse as he averaged 7.46 in 17 matches. He was a part of Kenya’s 2003 World Cup campaign, where they made it through to the semi-final. In that tournament, he was one of Brett Lee’s victims during his hat-trick.

13.  Rakep Patel, Kenya

Rakep Patel, a batsman, has played for Kenya since the age of 17. Unfortunately, his time has coincided with Kenya’s slide as they failed to build on the promise of the 2003 World Cup. So far, he has appeared in 39 ODIs and 22 T20Is.

14.  Hiral Patel, Canada

At the age of 19, Hiral Patel caught the eye of the cricket world when he smashed a combative 54 off 45 balls for Canada against Australia in the 2011 World Cup. The youngster batted fearlessly against the likes of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson, carving three sixes in a memorable knock. He remains an important part of the Canadian setup as they try to chart a path back into international cricket.

15.  Ashish Patel, Canada

Ashish Patel was a right-arm medium pacer, who represented Canada in two ODIs at the 2003 World Cup. His most memorable moment came when he dismissed Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis on debut. He last played for Canada in 2007.

16.  Malhar Patel, Kenya

Malhar Patel played only three ODIs for Kenya but was a part of their squads at the ICC Champions Trophy 2004 and the World Cup 2007. He made his debut in the Champions Trophy against Pakistan and was bowled by a rampant Shahid Afridi. Patel took guard and looked up. Afridi fired in a faster one and Malhar let it go through onto his stumps. The surprised batsman complained that he wasn’t ready, but was given the marching orders.

17.  Kalpesh Patel, Kenya

A right-handed batsman who could bowl, Kalpesh Patel only played two ODIs for Kenya in 2006. In a biography written for ESPNCricinfo, coach Andy Moles compared his bowling style to Terry Alderman. He did not play very long and hasn’t turned up for Kenya since 2006.

18.  Jitendra Patel, Canada

Jitendra Patel was born in Uganda but went on to play for Canada in the 1979 World Cup. A left-arm bowling all-rounder, he has a hundred in First-Class cricket.