The Indian Premier League gives a chance to cricketers from different countries to play together. It is also a great platform for new players to get introduced to the world and start playing in the big league.
Rahul Tewatia is yet to play for India, but already is a household name, and an almost dictionary word (“He did a Tewatia :) “). Unlike other exciting IPL young talents, Rahul Tewatia isn’t the most prolific but is the most effective player. People wondered if his five sixes against Sheldon Cottrell were a fluke, he proved them wrong by hitting Odean Smith consecutive sixes on the last two balls and took Punjab Kings home. He was so cool after two sixes, that it felt like a routine job for him, with barely showing any excitement or emotions. Hardik Pandya was stunned and could not believe it, but Tewatia went to shake hands as if he scored a single to win.
Rahul Tewatia plays for the Haryana Ranji team, and can also bowl leg-spin. Even though he is known for his hard-hitting finishing sixes, the lad is a decent bowler who can pick wickets while being economical. It would be interesting if he does similar with the bowl, like defending 4 or 5 runs off the last over.
Hailing from Faridabad, Rahul didn’t find success easy. He played for multiple IPL teams before his famous innings against Punjab Kings in 2020, which made him an overnight star. Rahul started off really slow in that game, and it was almost to the point where Rajasthan Royals fans were cursing him for his poor strike rate, till “he did a Tewatia”.
If ever there’s a situation when a team needs a six off the last ball, and the batsmen hit a six, it is being referred to as “he did a Tewatia.”
Chasing a near-impossible 224, they cruised comfortably. Tewatia, who was an unknown commodity till then, became a household name and gold mine of Meme. Tewatia as a word became famous and it was often associated with folks who finish their work in style at the last moment, after beginning poorly. But, sixes of Sheldon Cottrell weren’t unusual for Rajasthan Royals coaching team as they had seen him doing that multiple times in practice matches.
That’s what is the beauty of IPL, it helps in India’s talent exposure against the best, at a very early stage. IPL has given us many gems like him, Ryan Parag, Pravin Tambe, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja, who learnt their trade by being exposed against the best.
Even the great Sunil Gavaskar couldn’t stop praising. He asked, “what’s running in his veins?” post his consecutive sixes off the last two balls.
If ever there’s a situation when a team needs a six off the last ball, and the batsmen hit a six, it is being referred to as “he did a Tewatia”. Such has been his impact on this beautiful game, he isn’t just a player anymore, he’s a superstar: IPL’s Superstar.
