PBKS vs GT: Rahul Tewatia smashes 2 sixes off last 2 balls to seal thrilling victory for Gujarat Titans

The Match 16 of IPL 2022 between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) witnessed a thrilling finish at the end as all-rounder Rahul Tewatia smashed two sixes off the final two balls of the match. This win meant the Gujarat Titans remained unbeaten and took the second position in the points table with three victories in as many games.

GT needed 19 off six balls to secure a victory in the fixture. For them, David Miller and Hardik Pandya were at the crease. But, the unfortunate run-out dismissal of Pandya brought another finisher, Tewatia, to the crease. After Tewatia took a single off the second ball of the over, Miller hit a boundary and then followed it up with a single off the subsequent ball.

With 12 needed off two balls now, Rahul Tewatia was correct with his anticipation of Odean Smith’s line to be around outside off and hit the fifth ball to deep mid-wicket boundary which boosted his confidence. Then off the last ball of the innings, it was the same delivery that was well covered by Tewatia as he smashed the ball over the deep long-on boundary to win the match for his side. This certainly brought back memories of Tewatia hitting five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell in a single over in a fixture between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2020 at Sharjah.

Here are the two sixes of Rahul Tewatia: 

Celebrations began in the Gujarat Titan’s camp as the players ran towards Tewatia and Miller, who kept their composure in the end. The foundation for the chase was laid by top-order batter Shubman Gill, who scored 96 off 59 balls, while Sai Sudharsan and Hardik Pandya contributed with 35 and 27 runs respectively.

After the completion of this fixture, Rahul Tewatia joined MS Dhoni to be the only two players to win the game from 12 from two balls in IPL history. While playing for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 against Kings XI Punjab, Dhoni achieved the same feat, wherein he scored 23 runs off Axar Patel’s last over to win the match for his side.