Rajasthan Royals’ star batsman Rahul Tewatia has been dominating the headlines all over the social media and cricketers both former and current are just hailing this talent from Haryana after the latter’s fabulous batting show against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the ongoing IPL 2020.
The 27-year-old became an overnight star by hitting the West Indian fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over to help the RR pull-off the highest run chase in the IPL history on Sunday (Sept 27).
In the 18th over off Cottrell, Rahul hit those big sixes when the Royals needed 51 runs from the last three overs. He played a brilliant knock of 53 off 31 balls, as well as, added 81 runs with skipper Steve Smith to guide RR to a 4-wicket win over the KXIP in the 9th match of the IPL 2020 in Sharjah.
Following his wonderful show, Tewatia has grabbed a much deserving spotlight with all talking about him, but his childhood coach Vijay Yadav, former India wicketkeeper and India A fielding coach, wasn’t surprised with RR star’s heroic as he already knew his talent awaits the IPL stardom.
Remembering an 8-year-old shy kid who came at his “Cricket Gurukul” in 1998-99, Yadav said: “I always told Rahul (Tewatia) that he will have his day in the IPL and it would be because of his batting,”
On his 5 sixes against KXIP, the coach said: “I’m not surprised he hit 5 sixes in an over. He’s able to do that Bear in mind his first stint in IPL with KXIP when he acquired two games. He confirmed glimpses.”
He further recalled Rahul’s family’s enthusiasm to make him a cricketer.
The coach fondly said: “His father is a lawyer in a Faridabad court and they are a middle-class family. But what struck me was his family’s enthusiasm even though he was a shy kid. Not just his father but his uncles would also come to drop him and they were like any aspiring parent if their kid didn’t get a chance to bat or bowl. ‘Sir kya kar rahein hain, Rahul ko khilate Kyun nahi’. “It was like the whole family wanted to make him a cricketer.”
On his Guru Mantra to his student, Yadav said: “Simple. I told him he will be a useful leg-spinner but Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal are more skillful bowlers. His advantage was his batting which was in a different league. I told him that you can win an IPL game with this batting. I told him that white ball was his calling and at the National Under-22, he scored 90 plus on debut in Raipur. He is an asset as a batting all-rounder.”
However, Yadav is realistic about what Tewatia can achieve in the game of cricket with Team India.
He signed off by saying, “Just know one thing. All Haryana players in recent years have got India opportunities when they deserved whether it’s Jogi (Joginder Sharma), Mohit Sharma, Yuzi, or Jayant (Yadav). Rahul should back his strength which is white-ball cricket. I am not saying he won’t play red ball regularly but the white ball is his calling.”
Noteworthy, the RR will next take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 30 in the IPL 2020.
(With PTI Inputs)
