IPL 2020: Rahul Tewatia thanks Steve Smith for opportunity to bat up the order

Rahul Tewatia has thanked his Rajasthan skipper Steve Smith for giving him the opportunity of batting up the order against Punjab at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Tewatia who had struggled to even time the ball in the first 20 deliveries that he had faced, seemed to have activated the 'Beast' mode in the death overs when he clobbered pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in the 18th over. He scored a 31-ball 53 at a strike rate of 170.97 that included seven maximums as a result of which the former champions got over the finish line by six wickets and four balls to spare chasing a mammoth score of 224. 

By the virtue of this win, Rajasthan's unbeaten streak continues in this tournament as they have now won both of their opening games. Meanwhile, this is also the highest successful run chase in IPL history.

Speaking to ANI, Tewatia said that he was termed the 'game-changer' by the team and it was only about reposing the faith shown in him by a team that has stars like Smith, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, and Samson among others.

"You either grab an opportunity or get bogged down by it. Smith and the team told me I am their 'game-changer'. So, it was my duty to ensure that I repose their faith. When the team and a stalwart like Smith backs you, the job is anyway half done. I am blessed to be a part of the RR family," he smiled.

But how has he managed to stay in rhythm when even the best have struggled to get into the groove post the lockdown? The all-rounder says it is due to the hard work put in by the Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) behind the scenes during the corona-induced break.

"HCA has been brilliant. Even the best sportsperson can lose focus in such times, but they kept a tab on us, especially Anirudh Chaudhry sir. Be it checking on our diet or our fitness, he would personally speak to the required personnel as well as the players to ensure that there was no interruption in our training cycle. He also keeps the atmosphere lively and encourages everyone's sense of humor.

"It can get daunting to be training on the roof and staying indoors, but the HCA ensured we had mental conditioning classes to keep us prepared for these tough situations. In fact, despite the Haryana team boasting of three international spinners, sir has time and again pushed me to go that extra mile so that I am an automatic choice in the XI. The focus in HCA is on player development," he revealed.

Rahul Tewatia helps Rajasthan snatch victory from jaws of defeat

Rajasthan skipper Steve Smith kept his team's hopes alive with a brilliant half-century while Sanju Samson once again made his bat do the talking as he scored a 42-ball 85. 

However, it was Rahul Tewatia who changed his team's fortunes completely as he struck pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in the 18th over. He scored a 31-ball 53 at a strike rate of 170.97 that included seven maximums. 

Jofra Archer also hit Mohammed Shami for a couple of sixes in the penultimate over and even though he accounted for Tewatia, it was too late by then as the inaugural edition's champions registered a comfortable win in the end.

READ: IPL 2020: Rajasthan Chase Down Highest Total In IPL History, Defeat Punjab By 4 Wickets

(Image Courtesy: iplt20.com)