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IPL 2022 | 'He’s not ruffled at all' - Gavaskar on 'ice-man' Rahul Tewatia

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Legendary Indian cricketer-turned commentator Sunil Gavaskar has opined that Rahul Tewatia's brutal assault on Sheldon Cottrell during the 2020 season has proved to be the turning point in the left-hander's career.


Tewatia shot into the limelight during the 13th season where, playing for the Rajasthan Royals, he converted a potential match-losing knock into a miraculous match-winning heist courtesy of a late sustained assault on Punjab Kings' Sheldon Cottrell.


He was picked by the Gujarat Titans for a sum of Rs 9 Crore at the recent mega-auction following a massive bidding war between franchises.


The Titans came under scrutiny for shelling out such a huge sum of money for Tewatia but the southpaw has proceeded to shut everyone's mouth by scripting at least three last over heists for the new franchise.


And if you listen to Gavaskar, he’s all but praises for the batter.


Speaking to the host broadcaster ahead of GT's encounter against PBKS, the former opener said that the biggest reason behind Tewatia's sustained success as a finisher is the immense belief he has in his ability.


"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. 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,”


Hailing Tewatia as the 'ice-man', Gavaskar said that the southpaw never looks flustered at the crease even when he is under immense pressure.


"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 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).”


Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 25-ball 43 in the last game against RCB, and along with David Miller, took his team past the finishing line.


In nine innings, he has scored 180 runs at a strike rate of 160.71 and GT will hope that the 28-year-old continues his form in the remainder of the season.

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IPL 2022 | 'Pressure nahi lena, bass run mat dena, wicket ayega' - MS Dhoni's pep talk to Mukesh Choudhary

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary is living his dream of playing alongside his childhood hero, legendary MS Dhoni. After all, it was Dhoni's exploits against Sri Lanka in the 2011 ODI World Cup final that inspired the then 15-year-old young boy from Rajasthan to take up the sport. "Whenever I see that winning six, I get goosebumps. The moment Dhoni sir hit that winning six and hugged Yuvraj Singh, I decided I would also aim to play for India someday. I used to play cricket, but I began taking the game more seriously after that historic moment. The 2011 World Cup team inspired me a lot. I spoke about that triumph with Dhoni sir. He has an abundance of knowledge," Choudhary told TOI. Last season, the left-arm seamer was part of CSK as a net bowler and was picked at a base price of INR 20 lakhs at the mega-auction earlier this year. With Deepak Chahar getting ruled out due to injury, the onus of leading the attack fell on his young shoulders. Choudhary did not have a great start as he leaked many runs in his first four outings while managing just four wickets. However, a pep talk with MSD ahead of the fixture against the Mumbai Indians worked wonders for the young lad as he claimed three wickets in what turned out to be a match-winning performance. "Dhoni sir's guidance has helped me a lot. I have been bowling in the powerplay and got wickets and controlled the flow of runs. I swing the ball and don't let a batsman score. I create pressure. A batsman will try to score under pressure, he will play some rushed shots and lose his wicket," the left-armer said. "Dhoni sir has asked me to prepare for the death overs now. He said you have been bowling in the powerplay and now be ready to bowl in the death overs. He said - 'pressure nahi lena, bass run mat dena, wicket ayega' (Don't take pressure, just don't leak runs, wickets will come). I am learning each day under Dhoni sir," Choudhary revealed. The southpaw backed it up with a match-winning four-wicket haul against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last game and he'll hope to continue with the good work in the upcoming fixtures.

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Nicholas Pooran appointed new captain for West Indies in white-ball cricket

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran as their new ODI and T20I skipper. Pooran's appointment came in after ex-West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard surprisingly announced his retirement from international cricket. Pollard had hinted in the past about his endorsement of Pooran to be skipper when he was serving as the team's vice-captain. Pooran has already captained the West Indies Men in Pollard's absence, leading them to a CG Insurance T20I Series win at home against Australia in 2021. Commenting on the appointment, Pooran said, "I am truly honoured to be appointed captain of the West Indies team. I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket." "This is indeed a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together. To be named captain is indeed the highlight of my career so far, and I want to drive the team forward to accomplish great things on the field for our fans and loyal supporters," the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter further added. Also, top-order batter Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team. "Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team," said CWI's press release stated. CWI President Ricky Skerritt congratulated Pooran on his new role by saying, "Nicholas Pooran is a specially gifted cricketer and the right person to take over the white ball captaincy. We are confident that he will continue to climb the leadership learning curve speedily, and successfully. I appeal to all West Indies cricket stakeholders to give Nicholas the support and encouragement that he deserves." Pooran first burst onto the scene representing the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2014 ICC Men's U19 World Cup. He smashed 303 runs from six matches in the tournament. After making his debut for West Indies in 2016, he has played 37 ODIs and 57 T20Is, scoring 1121 and 1193 runs, respectively. The 26-year-old Trinidadian's first assignment as the full-time captain will be the three away ODIs against the Netherlands in Amstelveen starting May 31, which form part of the ICC World Cup Super League.