It has only been a couple of weeks since the commencement of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, yet, Rahul Tewatia has already emerged as the definitive match-winner for the defending champions, Gujarat Titans, on two separate occasions.
His run tally reads only 20, but in a season where teams are scratching their heads, perplexed in their bid of finding the most efficacious manner of utilising the ‘impact player’ rule, Tewatia has had an unparalleled impact on the Titans, in terms of getting the team over the line.
The all-rounder, who has now transitioning into a specialist finisher who rarely bowls, found himself at the crease in a precarious situation during the first match against Chennai Super Kings. Chasing a target of 179 runs, Hardik Pandya’s team was struggling at 156/5 after 18 overs, but with a knock of unbeaten 15 runs, Tewatia got his team over the line.
Gujarat needed him to replicate the feat in the last game against Punjab Kings, played on Thursday, 13 April. Needing four runs from the last two deliveries, the 29-year-old produced a flawless display of composure, carefully scooping a Sam Curran delivery over the short fine leg, instead of going for the theatrics.
Explaining the rationale behind the shot, he informed in the post-match press conference “I was considering a couple of options. The leg side is bigger, so I could have gone for a two (by hitting there), but it seemed a bit risky. Only two balls were remaining, so I thought that (scoop shot) will be the better option. I backed myself and executed it.”
Very Few Batters Have Had More Death-Overs Success Than Tewatia
The cricketer, who hails from Haryana, has scored 377 of those 647 runs since IPL 2022 in the last four overs of a game, with his death overs strike rate being 175.35.
Interestingly, among those who have scored over 300 runs in the same overs since IPL 2022, only six batters have a better strike rate – Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Kieron Pollard, AB de Villiers and Hardik Pandya.
Highest strike rates in the last four overs since IPL 2020 (among batters who have scored 300 or runs):
Shimron Hetmyer – 201.12
Ravindra Jadeja – 192.41
Dinesh Karthik – 191.03
Kieron Pollard – 190.31
AB de Villiers – 226.58
Hardik Pandya – 186.46
Rahul Tewatia – 175.35
In this particular aspect, Tewatia’s figures are better than that of a plethora of world-class finishers, including MS Dhoni, Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran.
Specialised Training for Specialised Role
On being asked about the secret behind his emergence as an authoritative finisher, Tewatia’s simple answer was “Things don’t happen overnight.”
Further elaborating on his journey, he added “Things don’t happen overnight. I was first given this role (of a finisher) in 2020, when I was playing for Rajasthan Royals. There was clarity about what my job is – when you at batting at number 6 or 7, you’ll find yourself in these situations in eight or nine of the 14 games. I know that unless the team collapses, it is only after the 13th, or 14th over that I will come out to bat.”
Tewatia scored 217 runs for the Titans last season, but more importantly, played match-winning knocks whilst chasing on four occasions – ultimately proving to be immensely instrumental in his team’s title triumph.
Rahul Tewatia's match-winning knocks in IPL 2022 (whilst chasing):
40* (24) – vs Lucknow Super Giants
13* (3) – vs Punjab Kings
40* (21) – vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
43* (25) – vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Speaking on embracing the arduous task, he emphasised the importance of situation practice. “For the last four years, I have been training for this specific role (of a finisher). I prepare match simulations for myself, both at home and here at the nets, and bat according to the situation,” Tewatia concluded.
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