We have seen some fascinating performances in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League and a lot of them have come from Rajasthan all-rounder Rahul Tewatia.
The 27-year-old has been in sensational form with both bat and ball. On one hand, he has chased down targets from unbelievable situations for his team and on the other hand, he has given them control in the middle-overs with his bowling as well.
Tewatia has not only been a vital cog of Rajasthan's shallow middle-order this season but has also emerged as one of their lead spinners as well. He has scored 222 runs at an average of 44.40 and has taken six wickets as well at a decent economy rate of 7.81. His all-round performances have been crucial to the team's fortunes in every match.
Tewatia's notable performances so far
3/37 vs Chennai | Rajasthan won by 16 runs
53(31) vs Punjab | Rajasthan won by 4 wickets
45*(28) vs Hyderabad | Rajasthan won by 6 wickets
Major Skill on display: Death-overs power-hitting
Even though he has been useful with both bat and ball, it is his batting that has made the difference this season. He showed exceptional range and power against pacers in both of his match-winning knocks against Punjab and Hyderabad. Rajasthan had lost early wickets in both of those matches and chasing down the targets looked impossible at one point. However, Tewatia maintained his calm and composure like a seasoned international player and took the game deep.
Once he entered the death overs, he unleashed all sorts of shots against the pacers to clear the boundaries. Many people called it a fluke when he did this the first time against Punjab but he brought the world down to its knee when he played another gem against Hyderabad.
Impact Points
- One of the only two players with 200+ runs & 5+ wickets in this season
Tewatia is one of the two players who have reached the double of 200 runs and five wickets in the season. Marcus Stoinis of Delhi is the only other player who has been able to match this feat till now. The Australian all-rounder has scored 217 runs so far along with registering six wickets.
Read | Marcus Stoinis: Delhi's impact player in Indian T20 League 2020
- Third most runs and fifth-best average in the death overs this season
Tewatia has scored the third most number of runs (153) between over 17 and 20 this season. Only Kieron Pollard (172) and AB de Villiers (168) have scored more runs in this phase. As far as his average of 51 goes in this phase, it is the fifth-best among players who have faced a minimum of 30 deliveries during this period. He has done all this with an exceptional strike-rate of 209.59, which is again the seventh-best in this phase among the aforementioned category of players.
- Third most number of wickets in the 7-11 over phase
Tewatia's tally of four wickets in this phase is the third most in this season so far. Only Yuzvendra Chahal (seven) and Rahul Chahar (six) have taken more wickets. Tewatia has maintained a decent economy rate of 7.39 in the span of these overs as well and it is the ninth-best among the 28 bowlers who have bowled at least 30 deliveries in this phase.
Read | Shubman Gill: Kolkata's impact player in Indian T20 League 2020
Wall of Praise
Tewatia’s got a great eye and the courage to go for his strokes. No hesitation
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 11, 2020
When they buy a marquee player, franchises hope for 3 or 4 match-winning performances. In a team with four superstars, Rahul Tewatia, bought for 30 lakh, has already won Rajasthan two games #SRHvRR
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) October 11, 2020
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League
