Born in Ahmedabad, Niraj Patel has played Ranji Trophy for his state side Gujarat and Assam, after migrating to the latter for the 2012/13 season. Patel was an integral part of the Gujarat setup, for whom he played just over 90 first-class matches.
When he approached the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) for a No Objection Certificate (NOC), the GCA granted him the NoC so as to enable him to play for Assam, thereby ending a 15-year relationship with Gujarat.
Ever since his first-class debut in the 1997/98 season, Patel has been impressive in the domestic circuit. He also has a decent record in limited-overs cricket and was also given an IPL contract by the Rajasthan Royals in 2008, where he played alongside Shane Warne and Shane Watson.