India vs England 2021: This is How Rahul Tewatia Reacted When Yuzvendra Chahal Informed Him About Maiden India Call-up

Rahul Tewatia, who didn’t know about being picked in the T20 squad for the England series, had called it a day when his phone rang. On the line was India spin wizard and Haryana teammate Yuzvendra Chahal. The swashbuckling all-rounder earned a maiden call-up to the national team as the BCCI named him in the 19-man team for the forthcoming 5-match T20I series in Ahmedabad. Currently playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Tewatia was half asleep when Chahal called him up. Tewatia woke up to the news of his selection.

In a conversation with The Indian Express, Tewatia said that initially he couldn’t believe it and thought the spinner was joking with him. After Chahal, his other teammate Mohit Sharma too came to his room with the news and that is how it finally sunk in. “I never thought I would get picked now. Life has always thrown challenges. Haryana has three spinners who have already played for India; Amit Mishra, Chahal and Jayant Yadav. I always knew that if I get an opportunity, I must make it count. People had noticed me after the IPL,” Tewatia was quoted as saying.

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Tewatia was awarded for his impeccable all-round show at the Indian Premier League 2020 which was held in the UAE. The uncapped cricketer hogged the limelight with his exploits in the shortest format. He proved his mettle with the crucial knocks he played to rescue his side Rajasthan Royals in crunch situations. Last season, his breakthrough campaign impressed and catapulted his name in the ranks.

His individual brilliance and all-round heroics helped his side win a few games in the T20 format. His whirlwind knock against Kings XI Punjab made him an overnight sensation. He knocked from 53 off 31 and smashed Sheldon Cottrell for 5 sixes in an over. The southpaw at a strike rate of 139.34 had a batting average of 42.50 and 10 wickets at an economy of 7.09. On Sunday, he played a thunderous knock of 73 from 39 balls against Chandigarh.

As Tewatia takes the first step towards fulfilling his dream by donning the Indian jersey, he feels grateful that the selectors and team management showed trust in him. He is excited to share the dressing room with many senior players, the likes of India skipper Virat Kohli.

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• India vs England
• India vs England 2021
• Mohit Sharma
• Rahul Tewatia
• T20 India vs England squad
• T20 series against England
• yuzvendra chahal