Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, who also plays for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scored his maiden century in his Ranji Trophy career on Sunday as he smashed 144 runs, and later picked two wickets as well in the Elite Group A match in Jamshedpur against Jharkhand. Yet what stole the show, and later went viral all over social media, was the vintage look he sported during the match, which instantly reminded fans of former players like Javed Miandad and Manoj Prabhakar.
Haryana Cricket Association on Sunday shared a photo of Tewatia with his batting stats, which eventually played a vital role in the team scripting an emphatic win by an innings and 205 runs. It also helped Haryana go to the second spot in the Elite Group A points table, having secured three wins and two draws in six matches to amass 24 points, four less than table-toppers Vidarbha (four wins and a draw in six games).
Tewatia’s 144, along with opener Amit Kumar’s century, helped Haryana put up a total of 509. Jayant Yadav then starred with a five-wicket haul, while Tewatia picked a wicket as well, as Jharkhand were folded for 119. Put to bat again, Jharkhand managed only 185 runs as Haryana secured a scintillating win with Jayant picking up a another fi-fer.
Despite his match-winning all-round performance, Tewatia’s “vintage” look became the talk of social media, sparking hilarious reactions. Here are a few…
Haryana will play their final league-stage game in this Ranji Trophy on February 16, when they face Vidarbha in Nagpur in a top-of-the-table clash. A win could guarantee their place in the quarterfinal stage.
Tewatia’s all-rounder show, especially his maiden century in first-class cricket, will surely give him confidence heading into the 2024 season of the IPL, where he will continue for Gujarat Titans. In the 2023 season, he scored 87 runs at a strike rate of 152.63, which included an impactful cameo of 15 runs that helped Gujarat chase down 179 against Chennai Super Kings.
