IPL 2020: Better late than never for Tewatia

Dubai - After stuttering initially Rajasthan Royals' Tewatia came into his own

"Sorry guys I'm late," Rahul Tewatia tweeted on Tuesday. The man himself couldn't
have summed up any better. Just two days ago, pushed up the order to No.4, Tewatia was at the receiving end after going at a snail's pace against a mammoth chase. After the match, he termed it as the worst 20 balls he had ever played.
After stuttering initially and the wheels slowly threatening to come off, Tewatia came into his own and smacked Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in the 18th over to breathe life back and take Rajasthan Royals to the doorstep of a record-breaking victory against Kings XI Punjab.
It was better late than never as Tewatia turned from villain to hero over the course of that knock as the Royals pulled off the highest successful chase in IPL history.
And now, basking in that adulation, the 27-year-old revealed that he had been told about his role during the lockdown as well as the camp ahead of the tournament.
"The only plan was to just go and take on the bowlers," Tewatia said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
"Over the past month from when we have been in the camp, I knew what my role is and they didn't have to tell me much before the match. I knew that if they were sending me up the order, they would have the belief and the confidence in me. And for me, it was a big opportunity when they sent me to bat up the order. So, it was a chance for me to prove myself," he added.
But it was not as straightforward as it seemed as Tewatia looked at sea as the Royals needed 51 from 18 balls. But then the tables turned quickly as blitz left them needing 21 from 12 balls.
And Tewatia revealed what coach Andrew McDonald and captain Steve Smith said after the game.
"They were happy with the way I bounced back from that situation. They said that at this level, you need to be mentally tough to make a comeback after being down. I was unable to get going but after helping the team win, they were very happy. And they said that they had confidence in my ability and said that it was a matter of getting one big hit and I would get the momentum and finish the game," said Tewatia.
Quite obviously, the mood in the squad has been upbeat following that win with three balls to spare.
"This was a record run chase in the IPL. It was never done before and our team managed to do that. You could see the confidence and the self-belief in each and every player. We bowled well in the death overs, came back very well. And with the start we had with the batting, there was confidence that we could win this game, there was self-belief.
And that's what happened. And obviously, when you are on the winning side of a high-scoring game, the atmosphere in the dressing room is always good," he said.
james@khaleejtimes.com

• IPL 2019