Gujarat Titans all-rounder Rahul Tewatia came to haunt Punjab Kings again as he hit consecutive sixes off last two deliveries to secure a thrilling six-wicket win for his side at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. With 12 needed off the last two balls, Tewatia shone against extreme pressure to hit two maximums to hand the Titans their third win on the trot.
An emotional rollercoaster where the pendulum swung back and forth, the Titans faced an uphill task in the last five overs, with the asking rate creeping to more than 11 runs an over. Shubman Gill (96) also perished in the penultimate over and captain Hardik Pandya (27) was run out on first ball of the final over.
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Tewatia, however, held his nerves to hit two consecutive sixes and seal a dramatic win for the IPL newbies. The power-hitter, who was bought by Gujarat for a whopping sum of ₹9 crore in the February auction, had also hit Punjab's Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in a match-turning over during the 2020 season.
Tewatia, who now has the tag of Punjab's arch-nemesis, spoke about his 3-ball 13 whirlwind and revealed how he planned his shots against Odean Smith, who leaked 19 runs off the last six balls.
{{/usCountry}}Tewatia, who now has the tag of Punjab's arch-nemesis, spoke about his 3-ball 13 whirlwind and revealed how he planned his shots against Odean Smith, who leaked 19 runs off the last six balls.
{{/usCountry}}Watch Video: 12 needed off 2 balls, Tewatia repeats Dhoni's rare feat with 2 sixes
"Amazing feeling. There was nothing to think about! Just go there and hit sixes, that's what I and David (Miller) were thinking. I planned against Smith... The last ball was off the middle of the bat, and I knew it was six. The first ball he bowled was wide outside off, and so I thought the last ball was going to come there too. The staff is really chilled here. They just tell us to practice hard," Tewatia said after the game.
Earlier, Gill scored a brilliant 96 and kept the scoreboard ticking. The Punjab youngster put up 101 runs in 11.2 overs with debutant Sai Sudharsan (35 from 30 balls) to keep the Titans on course in the run chase. For Punjab, England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who was bought for ₹11.5 crore, smashed 64 off just 27 balls to help them notch up 189 for nine in 20 overs.
Star Afghanistan leg-spinner was the pick of Gujarat bowlers. He Livingstone and Shahrukh Khan (15) in the space of three balls in the 16th over, and also picked up the prized wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 35 at the start.
With the win, Gujarat have claimed second spot on the points table with three wins in as many games. The Hardik-led side has been impressive so far in its first-ever spell in the T20 competition. Punjab, on the other hand, are in the sixth position with two wins from four games.