Patel first gained prominence in 2003 at the age of 20 before he had even played first class cricket for Gujarat, when he was invited to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai by the Indian chairman of selectors Kiran More.

With the backing of Sachin Tendulkar, he was signed by Mumbai in a transfer deal, in late 2003, without ever representing his native Gujarat.

He later moved to Mumbai Indians where he enjoyed his most prolific season in 2011 taking 22 wickets including a record breaking 5/21 against KXIP in Mohali.

In the tenth season of the Indian Premier League he was picked by Gujarat Lions for 30 lakh rupees but did not play.

Patel recorded the figures of 7/97 on his Test debut, including 4/25 in the second innings and demonstrated an ability to swing the ball in both directions.

[citation needed] However, more impressive than his ability to bowl at a very quick pace has been his control, a skill lacking in recent Indian fast bowlers.

In the West Indies, however, Munaf suffered the ignominy of being hit for 6 fours in an over by Ramnaresh Sarwan.