Generally, I am not a sports critic writer or a game reviewer or sports analyst . But when it comes to Cricket, I love watching the game and appreciating the efforts made by each of the teams or players to win a match. Seriously some of the matches were played with so much vigour or enthusiasm that you may find it difficult to get side of one team. To be true, I do not take anyone side, infact I do not have any of the favourite teams in IPL.
But IPL is a platform, that allows many players to showcase their talent. It allow players of low grade, with no national or international matches to come up to the challenge and face the stardom and challenges of players of international caliber. And their effort really surprise you. That why I call them "Unsung Heroes of Ceicket". I happen to write this article after watching a game of genuine effort from nowhere to winning the game for the team and that all from an effort of a players whom I never saw playing.
Rahul Tewatia, the middle order all rounder from.Rajasthan Royals.
Last evening the league match played between Kings XI Punjab Vs. Rajasthan Rotals. Punjab batting first scored challenging 223 runs in 20 overs.
Rajasthan get into the run chase challenge from the start. However the wicket of their captain Steve Smith (Australian) exposed the inexperienced middle order. Rahul Tewatia, came into the game when, their teams wanted him to strike harder. He is in at 4 number with RR needeing some quick runs While Sanju Samson is hitting cleanly at the other end, Rahul was finding it tough to make contact with the ball. He has no exposure of such pressure. Infact I heard his name first time in Cricket circle. He is totally a naive who only seems to know how to hold a bat. Suspectible with pace bowling and clueless with spin , he is just flashing his bat at every balls with no avail. If I remember he scored first 7 runs in 18 balls. Wasting the delivery does put pressure at the other end. He need to match up for his inclusion in playing XI. He seems to be under pressure too for taking a hammer during his bowling. Even cricket pandits write him off and started to criticize the team think tank. Promoting an inexperienced in high run chase.
Noone would have assume that this player would be the unsung hero of the match at the end. Low profile, no reputation and few domestic matches. I feel for this player, I really do, because he will become the villain of the match, he has been put in an impossible position by the management who have over-estimated his batting drastically.
Soon after Sanju Samson departure,and unable to connect bat with ball from Rahul, the target looked impossible for RR.
At one stage, Tewatia was 5 off 10 balls, which became 5 off 13, then 7 off 16, a desperate heave down the ground made it a slightly more respectable 14 of 21 balls and then 17 off 23 balls.
However, destiny had a different tale to tell. Come here the 17 over of the match and RR needed 18 runs per over, Rahul Tewatia slammed 5 sixes of West Indies Samuel Cortrell bowling. He blows the whistle with bang, and soon RR looks to be in the game. Few more shots and like that RR becomes the winner of the match.
Take a look at this sequence of numbers of run scored by this batsman
0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 6, 0, 2, 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 0, 6, 6, 0 (wk)
It was character of sheer brilliance that surprise everyone. This is the way to shut everyone mouth especially the commentators who comes to a quick conclusion more than anything else.
Rahul Tewati shows Great patience, guts and approach to win the game for Rajasthan Royals. Making it a memorable evening for Cricket fans and also for his sporting career. This Tewatia story will stay forever in IPL history. What an insane turn around, for this player and also for the match.
Sport is such a great teacher, we can write someone off but we can’t erase them forever.
