Gujarat Titans rode on cameos by Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia to pull off a win against Rajasthan Royals out of nowhere. Needing 73 runs in five overs, it seemed all over for the Titans, but with Rashid and Tewatia showing grit and resilience, the visiting team managed to cross the line.
“When you have wickets in hand, it eventually becomes a matter of two or three big shots. So, if you can hit a couple of boundaries or sixes, you always remain in the game,” Tewatia, who chipped in with an 11-ball-22-run gig, said on Wednesday. “With the Impact Player rule in place, if you have wickets in hand, you can chase down daunting totals…”
Over the last few editions of the IPL, Tewatia has emerged as one of the most sought-after finishers of the game. He makes it a point to prepare for a fixture keeping various match situations in mind - an approach, Tewatia feels, has worked well for him.
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“From the team’s point of view, I enjoy the freedom. They know I play to my strength and work hard during training. I prepare, keeping the match situations in mind and practice those things day in and day out,” he said.
“The team management knows that I believe in my abilities, and that’s why they look at me in that role (of a finisher)…”
Coming into the game against the Royals on the back of two consecutive defeats, the Titans needed a turnaround, but according to Tewatia, there was no pressure from the team management.
“There was no pressure of winning because it’s a long tournament. Losing two games doesn’t rule you out of the tournament, nor do they make any team a champion. It’s a long tournament, and our aim was to learn from our mistakes and improve. We lost two close games, and we will continue playing the way we did…” Tewatia said.
In their next fixture, the Titans will take on Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on April 17.
