MUMBAI: It was his five sixes in an over from Sheldon Cottrell at Sharjah during the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that instilled self-belief in Rahul Tewatia that he belongs to this level, feels the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Tewatia has been in stellar form for Gujarat Titans as he has won his team multiple last-over games with big hits and is being considered for a place in the Indian T20 team.
"That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well (against Royal Challengers Bangalore)," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
"There's no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter's nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He's got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant," Gavaskar added.
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the 'ice-man' and lauded Tewatia's ability to remain unruffled during tense moments.
"Reason why I call him the ice-man is because he just stands there (at the crease) and shows no signs of shrugs or whatever. He's composed, he's anticipating the deliveries and knows which shots to play.
"In his mind, he's ready that if the ball is (landing) there, he's going to play his favourite shot. And when he middles (the ball), it's always a six. That's what makes him the ice-man because he's not ruffled at all (with the situation)," he said.
