Rahul Tewatia has quickly made a name for himself in the 2020 Indian Premier League with some truly terrific performances.
A month or so ago he was relatively unheard of among international audiences, but has since become somewhat of a household name.
Let’s find out more about this entertaining all-rounder, who has crept into the head and hearts of fans worldwide.
First-class Career:
At 27 years old, Tewatia has played just 21 first-class matches. He debuted for Haryana in 2013 and, earlier this year, really impressed with an innings seven-wicket haul against Jammu and Kashmir. He ended with nine wickets in that Ranji Trophy victory and has gone from strength to strength since.
IPL Beginnings:
Tewatia was previously with the Delhi Capitals, under the tutelage of head coach Ricky Ponting. A video recently surfaced of Tewatia being laughed at after seeking congratulations for taking four catches against the Mumbai Indians.
While Ponting was praising others, he overlooked Tewatia’s contribution. The player than actively sought approval, much to the intrigue of the head coach and players. Whether this had anything to do with his Delhi is the subject of conjecture.
Another Controversy:
Tewatia recently got into a bit of a scuffle with Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner. The Australian is not necessarily new to this sort of thing – and this time it involved Tewatia. The contest was a heated affair and tempers flared, but in the end all was sorted out. Cricketers can get hot under the collar, especially in the epicentre of the battle.
IPL Heroics:
But none of this takes away from the superb showings Tewatia has put in at the Royals this season. Few will forget how slowly he started against the Kings XI in Punjab. He was sent in up the order as a pinch-hitter, but struggled to get the ball off the square, even.
That changed soon enough, though, as he struck West Indies fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell for four sixes in one over. Tawatia eventually moved to a half-century and carried the Rajasthan outfit to an unlikely victory. He was the take of the town and certainly the hero of the day, but it hasn’t stopped there.
Tewatia was at it again more recently, hitting an unbeaten 45 in victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This innings was a great follow-up to what he achieved against Punjab.
This vigil, and others, showed that he isn’t a veritable one-hit wonder. Of course, he is playing a good role with the ball as well. His spin is vital to Rajasthan, who are a popular pick for the outright title on the top betting sites in India. For instance, 10CRIC have the Royals offered at 15.0 to claim a second title.
Family life:
Away from cricket, Tewatia is a good family man. His father is a lawyer and the extended Tewatia family are a wholesome bunch. All their lives have changed, to one degree or another, because of the IPL star’s success in the 2020 tournament. Time will tell whether he can sustain this positive impact on the competition and cricket as a whole. One thing is for sure, he’ll certainly keep trying.
Net worth:
Numbers vary according to sources, but according to celebrityhow.com, Tewatia’s net worth is estimated to be about nine million US dollars. This number includes what he earns from the Haryana Cricket Association. Naturally, a great deal of these digits are generated from his IPL earnings.
There are many other IPL cricketers – such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah – getting more than Tewatia. Few are offering as good value for money, though. If Tewatia keeps going the way he is, Rajasthan might have to cough up even more for him in the next IPL. This, or he will go to a richer franchise who are prepared to give him more.