 Born in Bombay (now called Mumbai), and educated in England at Dartford Grammar School and later Manchester Polytechnic, Patel's first-class cricket debut for Kent came at the end of the 1989 English cricket season, in a match against Middlesex.He became a regular in the Kent side over the following seasons, and in 1994 and 1995 "took wickets for fun"; indeed in 1994 he was the leading wicket-taker in England with 90 at a bowling average of 22.86.Pitches at Kent's home ground, the St Lawrence Ground, began to be prepared specifically for the spin bowling of Patel and Carl Hooper, despite the home side also boasting a seam attack of Alan Igglesden, Martin McCague, Dean Headley and Duncan Spencer.