Only 11 balls were left when Gujarat Titans batter Rahul Tewatia walked in to bat at No. 7 in Indian Premier League 2023 Match 35 against Mumbai Indians but the same were enough for him to create an impact for his team.
Advertisement
As a designated “finisher” for the franchise, Tewatia’s primary role is to hit big shots from the word go. As a result, even if only a handful of deliveries are left, Tewatia is expected to be hitting sixes without having the cushion of “getting his eye in”.
Tewatia, who scored 20* (5) comprising three sixes off the first four legal deliveries which he faced tonight, makes finishing innings look exceedingly easy on the back of justifying his role for GT more often than not.
Rahul Tewatia IPL Salary
Currently into his ninth IPL season, Tewatia earns a whopping INR 9 crore as annual salary in the cash-rich league. Readers must note that the amount is three times his last IPL deal (at Rajasthan Royals).
In fact, Delhi Daredevils had bought Tewatia for INR 3 crore during IPL 2018 auction. Transferred to Royals for a second stint before IPL 2020, Tewatia used to receive the same amount of money from them as well. All in all, the left-handed batter represented Delhi and Rajasthan for a couple of seasons each before joining Gujarat last year.
How Many Teams had Bid for Rahul Tewatia in IPL Auction?
Tewatia, who had registered himself for INR 50 lakh during IPL 2022 mega auction, ended up fetching 18 times his base price on the back of three franchises expressing immense interest in his big-hitting skills.
In what began with an intense battle between two South Indian franchises namely Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, Titans made their presence felt after the 2-crore mark was surpassed. The eventual winners were resilient enough to pin down CSK to buy Tewatia at an opulent price.
Having made a name for himself after hitting five sixes in a Sheldon Cottrell over to seal the highest-ever IPL run-chase in IPL 2020, Tewatia was always expected to break the bank in the auction.