IPL 2023: Best Starting Playing XI of Gujarat Titans after mini-auction

6. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia came into the limelight in 2020, when he hammered Punjab Kings with his sensational innings of 53 runs off 31 balls. That knock displayed his potential as a batter and in the 2022 mega auction, Gujarat Titans (GT) invested INR 9 crore in him to get his services. In the majority of games, the franchise used him as a lower-order batter.

Batting down the order, the 29-year-old amassed 217 runs in 16 games, at a swashbuckling strike rate of 147.61. In the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he emerged as a saviour with his 43 runs off 25 balls to help the team cross the line. Against Punjab Kings (PBKS) too, he played a cameo and snatched the victory from the jaws of defeat with his sixes in the last two deliveries of the game. 

In November, GT released their retention list and Tewatia featured in it comfortably with his standout batting performances. In the upcoming edition, the franchise will bank on his match-finishing skills to wrap up close games in its favour.