Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia. Image-BCCI/IPL

Rajasthan Royals spin-bowling all-rounder Rahul Tewatia has received a call-up to the national team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting March 12.

Tewatia is one of three uncapped players who have been included in the 19-men squad including Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav and Tamil Nadu’s Varun Chakravarthy.

Rahul Tewatia’s moment of reckoning came in the last edition of the Indian Premier League where he performed arguably one of the greatest-ever ‘come from behind’ act in the game.

Rahul Tewatia, Graeme Swann
Rahul Tewatia [Image Credit: IPLT20]
He was been chastised, ridiculed, and trolled after he managed just 8 runs off his first 19 balls during the Rajasthan Royals run-chase of 224 against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab).

But, Tewatia redeemed himself brilliantly. He calculated his assault with precision as he smashed 45 runs off the next 12 deliveries which includes as many as five sixes in one Sheldon Cottrell over to help his side gun down the record total in IPL history.

“That was the worst first 20 balls that I have ever played. I was hitting the ball very well in the nets, so I had belief in myself and kept going. I was not hitting the ball well initially, I saw in the dug-out, everybody was curious because they know that I can hit the ball long. I thought I had to believe in myself. It was a matter of one six, after that, I got going,” Rahul Tewatia had said at the time.

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“Five in an over went amazing. Coach sent me to hit sixes off the leg-spinner, but unfortunately, I didn’t hit him. Ultimately, I hit off the other bowlers,” he added.

Rahul Tewatia continued to chip in with both bat and ball in the remainder of the season and he was one of the lone shining light in what was an abysmal season for his franchise.

The all-rounder has been finally rewarded with a call-up to the Indian T20I team and former England spinner Graeme Swann couldn’t be more delighted about it.

Swann took to his official Twitter account where he congratulated Rahul Tewatia besides adding that he is hoping that he gets to play in the T20s as the ‘world needs superheroes right now’

“Huge congratulations to @rahultewatia02 for getting the nod for India. I hope he plays against @englandcricket in the T20’s. The world needs superheroes right now” wrote Graeme Swann.

The five-match T20I series between India and England will kickstart from March 12 at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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