In the match against Punjab Kings, where Gujarat Titans once again needed something special from Rahul Tewatia, the cricketer rose up the occasion and handed the Hardik Pandya-led side their third win of the IPL 2023 season. Notably, with four runs needed from two deliveries, the visiting team were under pressure, but the 29-year-old scooped it over fine leg, and with that, GT won the match by six wickets.
Meanwhile, talking about his practice sessions, Tewatia revealed that since he bats at number six or seven, he sets targets for himself and tries to achieve them. He also mentioned that when the role of a cricketer is defined, then there’s enough clarity, and that helps in one playing his best cricket.
“Nothing happens overnight. I was given this role in 2020 when I was with Rajasthan Royals. When your role is defined, you have clarity about it. When you are batting at 6-7, you are likely to bat in such (crunch) situations 8-9 times in 14 league games.
I have been practicing for this for the last three to four years. I practice and set targets for myself through match simulations, which gives me an idea of how to finish matches,” Tewatia said in the post-match press conference.
I backed myself to play that shot and executed it: Tewatia
With four runs required in two deliveries, Tewatia took a massive risk and scooped Sam Curran for a boundary over fine leg. He revealed that since the ball was reversing, he went after that shot and was happy it was executed properly.
“I was thinking I could go for a double (two runs) on the leg side, which is the bigger side of the ground. But I felt it was slightly risky. There were two balls left, so I thought that (scoop) was the better shot. The ball was reversing a bit. I backed myself to play that shot and executed it,” the all-rounder added.
Notably, with a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings, defending champions Gujarat Titans moved to the third position in the IPL Points Table.