Gujarat Titans have emerged as the team to beat this season due to their tendency to win games in seemingly hopeless situations. All-rounder Rahul Tewatia has been at the forefront of these efforts with the bat, hitting extraordinary amount of runs for GT in the death overs and finishing off chases on a regular basis.
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Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that Tewatia’s consistency in finishing off innings may come from his surprising assault on former Punjab Kings pacer Sheldon Cottrell in the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gave him the confidence that he belongs to this level.
Tewatia was playing for the Rajasthan Royals at the time and they needed 51 to win off the last three overs. He had scored just 14 runs off the first 21 balls but then went on to smash five sixes in the 18th over bowled by Cottrell. RR went on to win the match by four wickets.
“That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports.
“There’s no twitching or touching the pads when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant,” said Gavaskar.
Tewatia has been called “the Ice-man” because of his exploits with the bat.
“Reason why call him the ice-man is because he just stands there (at the crease) and shows no signs of shrugs or whatever. He’s composed, he’s anticipating the deliveries and knows which shots to play. In his mind, he’s ready that if the ball is (landing) there, he’s going to play his favourite shot. And when he middles (the ball), it’s always a six. That’s what makes him the ice-man because he’s not ruffled at all (with the situation),” said Gavaskar.
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