"He's a true clutch player": Aakash Chopra lauds GT all-rounder Rahul Tewatia

New Delhi [India] May 7 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra spoke about how Gujarat Titans (GT) retained Rahul Tewatia because he is a clutch player. He highlighted Tewatia's ability to perform under pressure, even with limited deliveries, and the impact of Mumbai Indians (MI) fielding penalty in the final over, which allowed them four fielders outside the 30-yard circle.
"He's a true clutch player, and that's why GT was keen to retain him. I spoke to Ashish Nehra, and he told me, 'If Tewatia went into the auction, I'd end up spending close to Rs 10 crore on him. Not many Indians can bat effectively at that number. He often faces just a handful of deliveries and is expected to clear the ropes every time. Today, he had only six balls -- he hit a crucial four. Adding to MI's troubles, they had five fielders inside the circle in the final over due to a fielding penalty. With just 15 to defend and coming back after a long break, it's tough to execute under pressure. That boundary off the first ball might have been prevented if the field had been set differently. But that's how these games go," JioStar expert Aakash Chopra said while speaking on Match Centre Live on JioHotstar.
Coming to the match held on Tuesday, GT won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 71-run stand between Will Jacks (53 in 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 in 24 balls, with five fours) was the highlight as wickets fell regularly, restricting MI to 155/8 in their 20 overs.
Sai Kishore (2/34) was the pick of the bowlers for GT, while Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, and Gerald Coetzee took a wicket each.
The run-chase was a rollercoaster ride for both teams. GT did lose Sai Sudharsan early, but a 72-run stand between skipper Shubman Gill (43 in 46 balls, with three fours and a six) and Jos Buttler (30 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) marked their comeback in the game.
In the 14th over, with GT 107/2, a rain break was taken with GT ahead as per the DLS Method. After the break, Jasprit Bumrah (2/19) and Trent Boult (2/22) brought MI back in the game, collapsing GT to 132/6 in 18 overs at the start of another rain break.
This time, GT was behind. When the game finally resumed, the revised target was 147 runs with one more over left. Rahul Tewatia (11*) and Gerald Coetzee (12) single-handedly finished the job for GT, earning them a win by three wickets on a last-ball thriller. Gill was given the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)