Rahul Tewatia with his daughter. (BCCI Photo)
Rahul Tewatia recalls his hectic cricket season and how in September 2023 he welcomed his daughter.
The life of a cricketer is hectic and sometimes, striking the right balance between personal and professional life becomes a challenge. Being a top-level professional cricketer requires a lot of traveling, which tends to take some focus away from personal commitments.
It was no different for Rahul Tewatia, the Gujarat Titans all-rounder, who is currently taking part in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Tewatia was blessed with a daughter, Ambarh in September last year.
In a chat with GT, Tewatia recalled how a regular visit to a doctor changed his world.
“After IPL 2023, we couldn’t travel anywhere. Obviously Riddhi (wife) was pregnant. We used to travel after IPL every year, that couldn’t happen last year. For 20-25 days, I rested really well, spent quality time with my family. And after that, I resumed cricket again,” Tewatia said.
“There’s a tournament called Pataudi Trophy in Haryana. I was playing matches in that tournament. And after that, I played 2-3 tournaments for the Income Tax Department. And then it was time for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” he added.
The 30-year-old then spoke about the birth of his daughter Ambarh, revisiting the events of the day.
“When I came back, I went to the ground at 3 PM. As soon as I was done with my session, I received a call from Riddhi and she told me that she had a word with the doctor and the doctor had called us. So I went back home quickly and asked Riddhi if I could take a shower. She said, ‘No! Do whatever you want once we come back, let’s just get the check-up done right now,’” Tewatia recalled.
“So, till then we thought we were only going for a check-up. When we went to the doctor, the doctor revealed that Riddhi needs to be admitted. When she was admitted, in the morning around 3 or 4 o’clock, Ambarh was born. Maybe, Ambarh was waiting just for me,” he added.
Tewatia has enjoyed a decent IPL 2024 season so far. He has till now scored 103 runs in five innings at a strike-rate close to 150. He was involved in a match-winning partnership with Rashid Khan in GT’s previous game against Rajasthan Royals, which the Shubman Gill-led side eventually won by three wickets on the final ball.
Tewatia will next be seen in action on April 17 against the Delhi Capitals. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.