IPL 2023: “Thought This Would Be My Last Match”, Recalls Rahul Tewatia

IPL 2023: Rahul Tewatia gained recognition as a “finisher” after first showcasing his ability as a hard hitter first for Rajasthan Royals and then Gujarat Titans. One of Rahul Tewatia’s well-recognized innings is the one he played for the Royals hitting 5 sixes in a row that helped the team win. However, the player opened up about dealing with the lowest point in his career and how he came out of it.

After completing his stint with Rajasthan Royals, Rahul Tewatia was released by the team ahead of the mega auctions. During the mega auctions, Gujarat Titans decided to go for Rahul Tewatia and picked him up. The player delivered some great cameos which was detrimental for the team as Gujarat Titans lifted their maiden trophy last year. This year too, the team is all set to play the qualifier 1, just one victory away from another final.

“It could be my last IPL match”, Says Rahul Tewatia

Prior to the last group stage game, Rahul Tewatia in the team’s podcast recalled a game at Sharjah against Punjab that he assumed was the end of his career. “Every game is different. Even if you look at Sharjah innings, it hadn’t started well. I wasn’t just stuck; it was humiliation. It was embarrassing, almost rock bottom. I think I’d scored only 8 runs off 17 balls. How much I’d try, I wasn’t able to hit even simple full tosses. There were all kinds of thoughts in my head. I even thought that this would be my last IPL match. I swear this was what I felt. Pressure was getting to me, considering I’d only scored 7 or 8 runs. It could be my last IPL match, the world sees this tournament,” Rahul Tewatia said.

He further added how he regained his confidence when the team needed 61 runs to win from just 3 overs. Rahul Tewatia mentioned that he breathed a sigh of relief when the first ball went for a six, then the second, and the next one too. The finisher recalled sharing a conversation with Robin Uthappa, telling him that he would hit all the remaining ones too. In the ongoing IPL, Rahul Tewatia has not gotten much opportunity to bat thanks to the team’s strong batting line-up. However, in 47 deliveries so far he has faced, has scored 80 runs.