IPL 2023: Rahul Tewatia reveals his secrete sauce behind how he perfected the role of a finisher

Needing 6 from 5 balls, Shubman Gill fell swinging across the line to a length delivery that skidded on to knock out the off stump. He curled in a superb yorker but Rahul Tewatia sent it to long-on for a single. With 5 from 3, came another crashing yorker and David Miller failed to connect, and the ball popped off his pad behind the stumps. Tewatia wanted the single, Miller stalled but responded just in time and with the in-rushing keeper going for the striker’s end, they were through.
4 from the final 2 balls. Curran abandoned the yorker and went for a length ball on the middle stump but Tewatia, shuffled outside off, went down on his knee, to lap it over short fine-leg.
This is not the first time Tewatia has executed his role to perfection.

!@rahultewatia02 does a Rahul Tewatia‼️
He smashes the winnings runs for @gujarat_titans 👌 👌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/RkqkycoCcd #TATAIPL | #PBKSvGT pic.twitter.com/LMLGnRn7Kd
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2023
“Leg side was a bigger boundary, could have gone for a two but it looked risky. In my mind I thought playing a ramp was a better shot. I backed myself to play the shot and executed it perfectly,” he told reporters after the match.

Rahul ‘Ice-man’ Tewatia! ⚡️ #AavaDe #PBKSvGT #TATAIPL 2023pic.twitter.com/twjVwap8KL
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 13, 2023
Rahul Tewatia kept calm to score a boundary at fine leg and take Gujarat past the finish line with one ball to spare.
Tweatia also explained how over the years he had perfected the role of a finisher.
“I was given this role in 2020 when I was playing with Rajasthan Royals. In the 14 league games, you tend to bat in such situations eight or nine times. Most of the time batting comes in 13-14 overs. For the last 3-4 years, I have been practising this. I set targets for myself through match situations. Match stimulations in open nets also gives me a better idea on how to take chances in a particular situation and how I should finish the match,” he said.
The Titans’ bowling posted a recovery after Rinku Singh’s work on Sunday for Kolkata. Rinku hammered five sixes of Gujarat Titans bowler Yash Dayal in the last over to seal the match for his team.
“He was one of our main bowlers. We became champion last season and he played a massive role in it. He bowled well with the new ball as well in the death last year,” he said.
“One match cannot change the fact of what he has done for us. I don’t think anyone in the team has given him any sympathy.
“I told him, ‘One match has gone bad. If you want to go down then only you can hit the rock bottom otherwise at GT no one will ever make you feel bad about it. Keep practising and execute what didn’t happen that day and wait for your chance. This is the worst, you can’t go any lower than this,” he said.
Led seasoned Mohit Sharma, its pacers were able to restrict Punjab to a below-par score.
“We train in the same academy. We are from the same city. I was happy to see him play his first game for GT. He was with us last year but as a net bowler. He changed the match scenario for us in the middle overs,” said Tewatia on Mohit Sharma’s comeback.

🎯 1️⃣5️⃣4️⃣
Brilliant bowling, brilliant fielding to set up an intriguing chase 🔥🙌😍#PBKSvGT #AavaDe #TATAIPL 2023 pic.twitter.com/yCLQg1LkOk
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 13, 2023
Shubman Gill (67 off 49 balls) added 48 off 28 balls with Wriddhiman Saha (30) for the opening wicket. Gill then added another 41 off 40 balls with Sai Sudharsan (19) for the second wicket.
“What Wriddhi da did last year was very crucial. Because of him we are always 50-55 in the powerplay. He makes life easier for the other batsmen. His innings matters a lot to the team,” Tewtia said on Saha’s cameo in the powerplay.
Gujarat was in cruise-mode despite losing Sudharsan at 89-2. But then, skipper Hardik Pandya fell to spin for eight runs to put the chase in some trouble.
Gill anchored the innings and added 42 runs off 30 balls with David Miller, who was unbeaten on 17 runs.

“Credit for PBKS bowlers for making a string come back after we have had a flying start. Ball was reversing in the last and it was difficult to hit as well,” he said.