Rahul Tewatia. Remember him? He too has hit fives sixes in a row in the Indian Premier League. That was long before Rinku Singh found fame with the Kolkata Knight Riders last week.

Three years ago in Sharjah, when Covid-19 pandemic forced the IPL to move to the UAE, Tewatia hammered left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell to lift the Rajasthan Royals to a win over Kings XI Punjab (presently Punjab Kings). Today, the 29-year-old is scripting victories for the Gujarat Titans.

When Punjab’s Sam Curran threatened to derail Gujarat’s chase on Thursday with a tight final over, Tewatia came to the rescue. Needing 4 runs from 2 balls, he stepped across the stumps to scoop the ball to the fine-leg fence. Big relief as smiles and applause rang out in the Gujarat camp as they won by six wickets.

Last year, Punjab were again burnt by the blazing blade of Tewatia. When Gujarat required 12 runs from the last two balls, he coolly lashed Odean Smith for two sixes. That evoked memories of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s power hitting for the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016. It was only bettered by KKR’s Rinku on Sunday.

Tewatia has been a journeyman in the IPL. After his debut for the Rajasthan Royals in 2014, he played for the Delhi Daredevils (presently Delhi Capitals) and Kings XI Punjab before being traded back to Rajasthan. That was when he found fame with his six-hitting feat. So when the new franchise Gujarat Titans were putting together a team, they had no hesitation in recruiting Tewatia.

Impact Player Rule. That doesn’t seem to faze Tewatia, who continues his power-hitting business efficiently.

As a leg-break bowler, he could break a stubborn partnership or grab a couple of quick wickets to peg back teams that threaten high-scoring sprees. Five-wicket hauls can’t be found in Tewatia’s reume, but his bowling comes in handy. This season he hasn’t bowled an over; that’s more to Gujarat’s embarrassment of bowling riches, and the Impact Player Rule that gives teams an additional bowler. But Pandya will call upon Tewatia’s leg-spin later in the tournament when the pitches are worn out.

His batting too is a bit enigmatic. Tewatia won’t score centuries or too many half-centuries; he won’t figure in the list of high aggregates or averages. But you can spot his name in the Strike Rate column. His twenties and thirties that come off a handful of deliveries have propelled his team to victory or a winning score. That makes Tewatia a winner.

He’s called the ice man for a reason. Tewatia’s ability to keep cool under pressure is phenomenal. Ice, not blood, runs through his veins, said former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar last year, while agreeing with former Australian opener Matthew Hayden’s assertion during a cricket show on Star Sports,

Blood or ice, it doesn’t matter for the Gujarat Titans. So long as Tewatia keeps delivering those quick runs, Pandya will be happy. So will all the IPL watchers. Except for Sadda Punjab supporters.

Shyam A. Krishna

@ShyamKris_

Shyam A. Krishna is Senior Associate Editor at Gulf News. He writes on health and sport.