Rahul Tewatia
Following an impressive season with Rajasthan Royals and a consistent stint with the Haryana side, all-rounder Rahul Tewatia earned maiden call-up as India on Saturday announced their squad for the five-game T20I series against England.
Tewatia, who smashed five sixes in an over to help Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, was picked in a reconfigured Indian squad which also featured Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Tewatia believes that his inclusion in the national set-up comes after fighting for a place in a spin-heavy Haryana side.
"Imagine fighting it out for a place in the team which has legends like Amit Mishra bhai. Then you had Jayant Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal has also represented the state team whenever he has not been busy playing for India.
The level of competition for spinners in the Haryana team is one of the toughest I would say. Finding a place and performing for Haryana not only gave me confidence but also helped me back my skills," Tewatia told news agency ANI after breaking into the T20I side.
27-year-old Tewatia is also eager to share the dressing room with skipper Virat Kohli. He also said that a successful IPL season with Rajasthan Royals boosted his confidence.
"So far, I played against Virat Kohli in the IPL. Now I will play with him and share the dressing room with him. Cannot wait to share the dressing room with him and some of the best cricketers in world cricket. It will be all about learning from them and understanding how they compete against the best in the business and succeed.
"You do know that the best in the world come over to play in the IPL. If you perform against them, it also helps build your confidence. I am glad that I could play match-winning knocks for Rajasthan Royals this season," said Tewatia
