Gujarat Titans all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, in an exclusive with NDTV, opened up on what he expects from the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ever since smashing five sixes in an over while playing for Rajasthan Royals against the Punjab Kings, Tewatia has become a household name and the expectations from him have increased. This year, he might be representing a new team, but along with Hardik Pandya, he would look to help his franchise win the IPL. Tewatia was picked up in the auction for Rs 9 crore.
“Gujarat Titans have shown a lot of trust in me. They are a new franchise and they picked me. When you go to any team, the aim is to win the IPL title and here also, it is the same. The mindset would be to take it match-by-match and follow the processes,” Tewatia told NDTV.
“I have been playing IPL for a while. If I have gone for such a high price (Rs 9 crore) then it shows that they have the belief in me. I will try to do my best and I will try to fulfill any role that the team gives me,” he added.
The spin-bowling all-rounder Tewatia also opened on who is that one player he is really looking forward to sharing the dressing room in the IPL. He also admitted to wanting to add some “mystery” aspect to his bowling.
“I am looking forward to gel together with everyone in the squad. We are a team so we have to create a family-like environment. I am eager to share the dressing room with everyone. I will be sharing the dressing room with Rashid Khan for the first time, I am looking forward to playing alongside him,” said Tewatia.
“Everyone has their own strength, you should be willing to learn at all times. Rashid Khan is a mystery bowler so will try to add a little mystery in my bowling,” he added.
Tewatia will be sharing the dressing room with the likes of Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill. The all-rounder wants to pick Hardik’s brains on the mindset he keeps during pressure-cooker situations.
“Everyone knows about the abilities of Hardik Pandya, he has shown what he can do in international cricket and the IPL. I will talk about the mindset with him. I will talk to him during the practice sessions,” said the 28-year-old.
“We have a squad that has all the bases covered, we have a perfect mix of young and experienced players. We have a good balance, we will try to have a good season,” he added.
Ever since smashing Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over during IPL 2020, expectations have increased from Tewatia. While managing expectations is no mean task, Tewatia takes motivation from it and it edges him on to perform better.
“The responsibility was always there but ever since the time I played that famous knock for Rajasthan Royals against the Punjab Kings, expectations from me have increased. It is a good thing that there are expectations from me and it motivates me to perform to the best of my ability. There are new teams in the IPL, there are two groups. The format seems like an interesting one,” said Tewatia.
Promoted
The IPL 2022 season will begin on March 26 with the tournament opener being played between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. Gujarat Titans will open their campaign on March 28 against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Gujarat Titans Squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Abhinav Sadarangani, Rahul Tewatia, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Gurkeerat Singh, Varun Aaron, B Sai Sudarshan.
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