IPL 2020: Rahul Tewatia Was Confident Despite Facing Worst 20 Balls Early On Against KXIP

Sep 28, 2020 at 11:50 AM

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IPL 2020: Rahul Tewatia Was Confident Despite Facing Worst 20 Balls Early On Against KXIP

Rahul Tewatia became an overnight sensation after smashing the West Indian pacer Sheldon Cottrell of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) for five sixes in an over. He said he was not short of confidence despite facing the worst 20 balls he ever played early in his whirlwind innings.

His sensational knock helped Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab in an incredible IPL match on Sunday night as the former registered highest successful chase in IPL history. Early on his innings though he was struggling to put bat to ball. He had scored only eight runs from first 19 balls before going on a six-hitting spree.

Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia (Image Credit: IPL)

Rahul Tewatia Believed In Himself

Rahul Tewatia believed in himself and said that he tried to hit the leg spinner but failed to do so, so he went on the rampage to hit pacer Sheldon Cottrell for 5 sixes. He scored 53 off only 31 balls including 7 sixes. Sanju Samson, the MOM scored 85 off 42 balls to give Rajasthan Royals an advantage after Kings XI Punjab posted a mammoth 223/2 courtesy Mayank Agarwal’s century.

“The dugout knows I can hit the ball long. I knew I had to believe in myself. It was a matter of one six,” the 27-year-old Rahul Tewatia said after the Royals’ four-wicket win.

Sheldon Cottrell
Sheldon Cottrell. Image Credit: IPL.

“Five (sixes) in the over, that is amazing. I tried to hit the leg-spinner, but unfortunately I couldn’t. So I had to hit other bowlers.”

He hit as many as five sixes in the 18th over off Sheldon Cottrell including four of them successively to tilt the match in Rajasthan Royals favour after they needed 51 runs to win from the last three overs.

Rahul Tewatia Struggled Initially Facing The Worst 20 Balls He Ever Played

Rahul Tewatia struggled initially after he was sent after Steve Smith’s dismissal when RR were 100/2 after nine overs ahead of the likes of Robin Uthappa.

Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson

However, as he was wasting the deliveries at the crucial juncture, the pressure was building on Sanju Samson, who departed with the score being 161/3 in the first ball of the 17th over.

Asked about it, the player from Haryana said, “Now I am better. The worst 20 balls I have ever played. After then I began to hit so I kept going. I will never forget this knock.”

Rahul Tewatia has so far scored 174 runs and taken 17 wickets from 22 matches. His knock of 53 was his career-best and first fifty in IPL. His previous best was only 24.

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