Rahul Tewatia reveals his reaction to maiden national team call-up
Rahul Tewatia disclosed how he reacted to learning the news of his selection for the Indian T20 squad. The all-rounder thought Yuzvendra Chahal was joking when he informed Tewatia about his inclusion in the squad for the T20Is against England.
Rahul Tewatia came into the limelight during IPL 2020. The all-rounder won multiple matches for the Rajasthan Royals with his game-changing performances. His showing against the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) was one of the highlights of IPL 2020.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Rahul Tewatia narrated the scenes in the Haryana team after the Indian T20I squad's announcement.
“When Yuzi bhai (Yuzvendra Chahal) informed me, my first reaction was that he must be joking. I never thought I would get picked now. Rohit bhaiya (Sharma) also came to my room to inform me," Rahul Tewatia said.
Rahul Tewatia only believed Yuzvendra Chahal after the latter showed him the squad on his news feed. The two leg-spinners are a part of the Haryana squad in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021.
It will be great to share the dressing room with so many senior players: Rahul Tewatia
As mentioned above, IPL 2020 played a huge part in Rahul Tewatia's rise. The leg-spinner began his campaign with a three-wicket haul against the Chennai Super Kings. Next, he hit five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell's over to power the Royals to an emphatic victory over the Punjab Kings. Tewatia also had a match-winning stand with Riyan Parag against the SunRisers Hyderabad.
Tewatia shared the dressing room with some great players like Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Shane Warne during IPL 2020. Now, he will get an opportunity to work with the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and other stars in the Indian T20 squad.
"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," Rahul Tewatia added.