Rahul Tewatia gets snubbed by selectors: Decoding his T20 stats
On Wednesday, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) named a 17-man squad for the T20I series against Ireland. All-rounder Rahul Tewatia was miffed for not making the cut. The middle-order batter had a terrific run throughout the concluded edition of the Indian Premier League. Annoyed by the snub, the 29-year-old took to Twitter and stated "expectations hurts". Here's more.
Tewatia shined in IPL 2022
Tewatia has been one of the hot commodities in the cash-rich tournament. He fetched Rs. 9 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Playing for the newcomers, Gujarat Titans, Tewatia compiled 217 runs at 31.00. He struck at a jaw-dropping rate of 147.61. His top three scores from this season read: 40* vs LSG, 40* vs SRH, and 43* vs RCB.
Why does this story matter?
Tewatia was one of the vital cogs behind GT's titular run this season. He single-handedly won a few games for the Hardik Pandya-led set-up. India need someone with stupendous finishing prowess and a knack to garner few wickets. And, Tewatia fits the bill. Given his ability to turn the game in a span of few deliveries, Tewatia's omission is indeed surprising.
A look at Tewatia's numbers in IPL
Tewatia rose to prominence in 2020, smashing a whirlwind 53 off 31 deliveries against PBKS. He managed 255 runs that season, averaging an impressive 42.50. He also claimed 10 wickets. Overall, the hard-hitter has slammed 738 runs in 64 matches at 25.44. He has maintained a prolific strike rate of 130.33. He has pocketed 32 scalps with best figures of 3/18.
How did Tewatia perform in IPL 2021?
Tewatia had poor returns in the 2021 edition of IPL. He managed 155 runs in 14 outings, averaging a mere 15.50. He hit 11 fours and six sixes. Tewatia's strike rate took a beating as well (SR: 105.44). He had a forgettable run on the bowling front too. He claimed eight wickets but averaged 42.50 (economy 9.18).
Tripathi earns T20I call-up; Samson returns
Uncapped India batter Rahul Tripathi has earned his maiden call-up. Tripathi finished as the second-highest run-scorer for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022, having slammed 413 runs at a strike rate of 158.23. Besides, the team management has given Sanju Samson another opportunity to shine. The stylish batter led Rajasthan Royals to the final besides scoring 458 runs (SR: 146.79).
Tewatia has over 1,300 T20 runs and 50-plus wickets
Across 103 T20s, Tewatia has amassed 1,387 runs averaging a decent 27.74. He has struck at a note-worthy rate of 143.13. On the boundary front, he has tallied 125 fours and 62 sixes. He has crunch numbers in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 649 runs at a strike rate of 161.04. Overall in T20s, he has 54 scalps at an economy of 7.57.
India's T20I squad for Ireland series
India's T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik. The two-match series will take place on June 26 and 28 (9:00 PM IST).
