New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals and Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia took the first step towards fulfilling his dream of representing India when he was named in India’s T20 squad against England.
He expressed how he couldn’t believe his teammate Yuzvendra Chahal when he first heard the news from him of his maiden call-up in the Indian national team. “When Yuzi bhai (Chahal) informed me, my first reaction was that he must be joking. I never thought I would get picked now. Mohit bhaiya (Sharma) also came to my room to inform me,” Tewatia was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.
Tewatia, who caught the attention of the cricketing fraternity during IPL 2020 in the UAE when his individual brilliance helped Rajasthan Royals win few matches. He is currently playing for his state team Haryana in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“Life has always thrown challenges. Haryana has three spinners who have already played for India; Amit Mishra, Chahal and Jayant Yadav. I always knew that if I get an opportunity, I must make it count. People had noticed me after the IPL. I thought if I continue to do well, I could get picked for the Indian team,” the swashbuckling all-rounder added.
Ahead of joining the Virat Kohli-led side, Tewatia is excited about sharing the dressing room with a bunch of senior players. “It will be great to share the dressing room with so many senior players and watch their work ethic from close quarters. I have heard that the experience of being with the Indian team is completely different. The team management and selectors have shown trust in me,” he said.
The spin all-rounder had a breakthrough season last year he notched up 255 runs and picked up 10 wickets in 14 matches to be one of the stand-out players for his franchise. His knock of 53 against Punjab Kings and 45 unbeaten against Sunrisers Hyderabad were his stand-out innings.
