Urvil Patel, the wicketkeeper-batter from Gujarat, made headlines after his explosive debut for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

The rising star of CSK has shared the advice he received from captain MS Dhoni and thanked the team management for supporting him during the IPL 2025 season. The 26-year-old said the franchise gave him the freedom to play his natural game, which helped him perform well. He also revealed Dhoni’s words after he got out playing a rash shot on his debut, where he scored a quick 31 runs off just 11 balls, including four sixes and one boundary.

Urvil Patel on Freedom and Support from CSK

In a chat with the GC Podcast YouTube channel, Urvil Patel shared his experience during the IPL 2025 season. He said:

“There was a clear instruction that I would play three matches. They told me to play the same way I did in the trial games. As a player, I also need some freedom, and I got that chance. It was the best option for me.”

Urvil also talked about his debut performance, where he scored a quick 31 runs off just 11 balls, including four sixes and one boundary. He got out playing a rash shot but received a valuable message from MS Dhoni.

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“You Already Have a Lot of Power” – Dhoni’s Advice

Sharing Dhoni’s advice, Urvil said: “Mahi bhai didn’t say whether I was right or wrong. He just told me, ‘You tried too hard on that shot. If you had played it safely, it would have gone for a four or six anyway. From the next match, don’t try too hard. You already have a lot of power.’”

Urvil also shared his first impression of Dhoni after joining CSK as a replacement for the injured wicketkeeper Vansh Bedi midway through the season. He said:

“Mahi bhai is very simple. He congratulated me as a newcomer and said, ‘Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Don’t overthink. I haven’t seen much of you yet, but as I watch you play, I’ll give you feedback.’ That gave me a lot of clarity.”

In his three matches for CSK, Urvil scored 31 (11) against Kolkata Knight Riders, 0 against Rajasthan Royals, and 37 (19) against Gujarat Titans. He impressed everyone with his clean hitting and power-packed style and is seen as a promising player for the future. Notably, Urvil also holds the record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian, scoring a 28-ball hundred against Tripura in 2024. With MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL still uncertain, Urvil Patel could become a key wicketkeeper-batter for Chennai Super Kings in the coming years.

The Gujarat and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicket-keeper batter, Urvil Patel, has revealed the secret story of how he ended up playing under MS Dhoni’s leadership during the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He went unsold in the auction despite enjoying a domestic season, but was later picked up by the injured Vansh Bedi/

It was the second stint of the IPL after spending his time with the Gujarat Titans in 2023, and he didn’t get a game there. Urvil Patel reveals that it was the Royal Challengers Bengaluru who approached the 26-year-old as a replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal. But the ‘Play Bold’ franchise wasn’t ready to confirm his inclusion and asked him to go through a 15-day trial.

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'First, I received a call from RCB that Devdutt Padikkal was probably injured, so they were looking for a replacement in his place. So, the call came from there first. But they didn’t say for sure that they were picking me. They said that you have to come for a 15-day trial with us.’ Patel revealed during a recent podcast.

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Later, the Yellow franchise’s scouting head, A. R. Srikkanth, connected with him as they were looking for a replacement and asked him to stay prepared as they were waiting for the approval of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The clear communication from the Super Kings pushed him to make up his mind.

Urvil Patel 🎙

"RCB approached me before CSK for DDP's replacement"

But he wanted to play for CSK 💛 pic.twitter.com/bPYi7ftSIJ

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) July 19, 2025

The right-handed batter started the IPL 2025 season with a fine knock of 31 runs in just 10 deliveries against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens. Later, he got a duck against the Rajasthan Royals and the 37-run knock against the Gujarat Titans, and ended the season with 68 runs.

Overall, Urvil has smashed 1230 runs in 50 T20 innings at an average of 26.17 and a strike rate of over 170, thanks to two centuries and four half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 115 runs. In the last year of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he drilled 315 runs in six innings at a strike rate of close to 230.

When Chennai Super Kings (CSK) went on to take the field to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during Match 57 of the season for IPL 2025, two notable omissions from the playing XI had not gone unnoticed among fans — England all-rounder Sam Curran and young Indian batsman Shaik Rasheed. In a season that has been lacking in terms of momentum for CSK, team management now openly experimented with combinations as they geared up to look towards the future.

In the pre-match briefing, an older CSK player spoke about the emotional value of the ground and how much cricket he used to play there as a child. He made a point that at this stage of the season, the mindset had changed to planning for the next year — figuring out what hasn't worked and where things need to improve in batting and bowling. With playoff chances all but eliminated, this change of strategy is not unexpected.

The CSK think tank is using these remaining fixtures to test bench strength and identify the core squad moving forward. "We’re giving chances to players to figure out our best XI or XII," the player added. It’s a practical move to bring fresh talent into the mix while also analyzing how they fare against quality opposition like KKR.

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Why Curran and Rasheed Miss Out

The reason for firing Shaik Rasheed is due to his disappointing performances over the course of the season. Though he began with promise, Rasheed has failed to convert starts and deliver under pressure. Conversely, replacement Urvil Patel has been in red-hot touch over the past domestic matches and has earned his selection on merit.

As for Sam Curran, the selection looks more tactical than on form. The Eden Gardens pitch is likely to provide turn, and Devon Conway, with his reputation for being a cool customer and having a strong hand against spin, has been selected as a better option for these conditions.

Gujarat wicket-keeper batter Urvil Patel, 26, is making headlines in the cricketing circuit ever since his exceptional show in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and there are speculations that he could be a mid-season pick-up for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2025.

Patel's career has been outstanding, especially after he went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Far from being depressed, he came back with a string of powerhouse performances. The most outstanding one being, his record 28-ball century off 28 balls for Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, shattering Rishabh Pant's record of fastest T20 century by an Indian. Such an amazing accomplishment went on to garner the interest of cricket analysts as well as the fans with speculation about him making it into the IPL this year.

Fuel was added to the fire with recent Instagram posts by Urvil Patel that created further rumors. The posts contain interactions with CSK players, and although the interactions do not seal any formal talks, they have created curiosity among the fans. Patel joining CSK, particularly during the current season, has been a topic of general speculation with analysts opining that his explosive batting could fill the gaps in the side.

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Speculation Surrounding Patel’s Potential CSK Move

CSK, currently engaged in the IPL 2025 season, has priority games in hand against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 3, Kolkata Knight Riders on May 7, and Rajasthan Royals on May 12. The team is engaged in looking for ways to strengthen their unit, and an in-season acquisition like Urvil Patel can provide the perfect boost to their batting lineup. His attacking style of play can be invaluable during critical stages of the tournament.

But importantly, no word of authorization has been given as yet by CSK on Patel joining them. Everything is mere speculation so far, and fans must wait for any authorization given by the franchise. Till then, the buzz about Patel's IPL future remains, and fans can only expect to see him wearing the yellow jersey some time in the future.

The 26-year-old Gujarat opener Urvil Patel created T20 cricket history by guiding his team to a historic win against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25. 

Chasing down the 156-run target, Gujarat opener Urvil Patel recorded the second-fastest T20 century by recording his maiden T20 hundred in just 28 balls. While he scored the highest T20 score for Gujarat, his team chased down the target in the tournament record-breaking 10.2 overs. 

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Urvil Patel scored a 28-ball century

Urvil became the second Gujarat batter to record a T20 century as he completed his hundred in 28 balls. It was the second fastest T20 century, while the record is a 27-ball hundred by Estonia batter Sahil Chauhan against Cyprus, which he recorded last June.

So, Urvil recorded the fastest T20 century by an Indian batter. The previous record was a 32-ball century by Rishabh Pant for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2017-18.

𝗔 𝟮𝟴-𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 💯

1️⃣1️⃣3️⃣* Runs
3️⃣5️⃣ Balls
7️⃣ Fours
1️⃣2️⃣ Sixes

Gujarat batter Urvil Patel smashed the fastest hundred by an Indian in T20s against Tripura in Indore 🔥 🔥

Watch 🎥 snippets of his 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙-𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙠 🔽#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @GCAMotera pic.twitter.com/zjbsKpZkYv

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 27, 2024

Urvil recorded the highest T20 score for Gujarat

While Urvil became the second Gujarat batter to record a T20 century, he recorded the highest individual score by a Gujarat batter. The right-handed batter scored 113 not out off 35 balls with the help of seven fours and 12 sixes. The previous highest T20 score record by a Gujarat batter was 108 not out against Kerala in 2013. 

Gujarat recorded the fastest SMAT chase of 150+ target

On the other hand, Gujarat chased the target in 10.2 overs. While it was the fastest chase of 150+ targets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, it was the fourth fastest chase of 150+ targets in T20 cricket history. 

Fastest 150+ successful chases in T20 cricket history