Sharjah: With 51 needed of the last three overs and Sanju Samson dismissed at 85, the game as all but gone for the Rajasthan Royals against Kings XI Punjab. Left-handed Rahul Tewatia — who came out to bat at two-drop chasing KXIP’s 223 — had been struggling to get going.
He had faced eight balls from Ravi Bishnoi, six of which were dots. He did manage to get one six but was lagging far behind after scoring 17 off his first 23 deliveries.
“They were the worst 20 balls I have ever played,” Tewatia would go on to say after the match.
The Royals dugout looked on curiously as the match appeared to be slipping away.
The Kings XI squad was all ecstatic and waiting what would have been an incredible win (eventually it didn’t happen).
“Keep the faith. The most amazing things in life tend to happen right at the moment you’re about to give up hope,” Tewatia said.
And that’s what he did at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium — kept faith. In the 18th over, Tewatia brought out the big hitting that the Royals think tank took the risk on and hit five maximums to take 30 off the six deliveries bowled by Sheldon Cottrell.
Tewatia, however, missed out on the six sixes by one, being unable to connect the fifth ball. Then, the sixth, a wide length ball, was sent sailing over midwicket.
IPL 13 tally
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Pts | NRR | ||
| 1 | DC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +0.483 | ||
| 2 | KKR | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +0.117 | ||
| 3 | RR | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -0.219 | ||
| 4 | RCB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -1.450 | ||
| 5 | KXIP | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +1.498 | ||
| 6 | MI | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0.654 | ||
| 7 | SRH | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.228 | ||
| 8 | CSK | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.840 |
