Rahul Tewatia has once again stunned Punjab in an IPL match to lead his side to a win against all odds. In 2020, it was for Rajasthan Royals as he hit 5 sixes in a row, in 2022, it was with Gujarat Titans as he ended the chase with 2 successive sixes to get his side over the line.
Needing 12 off the last 2 balls against Odean Smith, Tewatia managed to get the first one just over the line at the midwicket boundary, before lifting the next one way over the fence in the same region. In the dugout, Gujarat’s skipper Hardik Pandya, who was upset with his own dismissal earlier in the over, broke into a huge grin as wild celebrations broke out all around him.
For a large part of the Gujarat chase, they looked well in control thanks to a 100-runs 2nd wicket partnership between Shubman Gill and debutant Sai Sudharsan. Gill, who eventually was dismissed for 96 off 59 balls, and Sudharsan kept Gujarat up with the required rate while keeping their wickets intact.
However, Punjab bowlers, especially the impressive Arshdeep, pushed Punjab’s noses ahead with some excellent bowling in the last 5 overs. Once Gill succumbed under pressure in the 19th over followed by Pandya’s run out in the next, it looked all over for Gujarat. With victory in sight, Caribbean all-rounder Smith had a 3 balls spell he would quickly like to forget. Defending 13 off 3, Smith first needlessly conceded an overthrow when there was no run available, bringing Tewatia on strike. What followed was something that is becoming a very familiar sight for Punjab, Tewatia hitting their Caribbean fast bowlers for sixes.
Earlier, Punjab rode on a stroke-filled half-century from Liam Livingstone to post an imposing 189 on the board. Continuing their formula of going at 100 Miles an hour throughout their batting innings, Punjab kept losing wickets regularly, but never took their foot off the pedal. Despite losing too many wickets in the middle overs, they recovered to post 189 through a crucial 27 runs last-wicket stand between Arshdeep and Rahul Chahar. However, it just wasn’t enough in the face of Rahul Tewatia’s late assault.
