IPL 2026 | Anuj Rawat okay to play waiting game at Gujarat Titans

Bengaluru: Professional athletes enjoy quite a bit of luxury in their sporting careers. And the opulence only goes up a notch during the two-month long Indian Premier League carnival. 

However, with the nature of the sport, one does not always have things go the way they plan it, and that is why assurance of game time is one luxury these cricketers don't enjoy. 

For a certain 26-year-old Anuj Rawat, the IPL has been a mixture of great and forgettable moments. 

While he came into the spotlight when Rajasthan Royals picked him for Rs 80 lakh during the 2020 auction, the coming-of-age was truly during his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru while on a Rs 3.4 crore contract. 

Following that, he has blown hot and cold in the domestic scene and now finds himself at the back end of the pack, having not started a game since the 2024 edition after Gujarat Titans signed him for Rs 30 lakh.

While Anuj admitted the limited opportunities have been "frustrating" and "hard", the wicketkeeper-batter understands the importance of fighting for a spot in an IPL atmosphere. 

“If I am honest, it is frustrating and hard sometimes,” Anuj tells DH.

“But at the same time, as a cricketer, I feel it is very important to keep working hard. I definitely will take the (IPL journey so far) as a learning experience. It is just like how life goes. There will be ups and there will also be downs. And in the end, if the preparation is right, you will definitely end up on a high note.”

Anuj also opened up on the conversations with the team management about his role clarity and expectations at the Titans. 

"The conversations with the Gujarat Titans coaches have been about the role, and what I would play if I play. It has been very clear right from the start of the season and I've been working on it in my practice sessions as well."

While he has shown flashes of brilliance and was also a part of the Indian side for the T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, he insists that pushing for a national call-up is about not getting ahead of oneself and cashing in on the opportunity when it comes. 

“I think I'm just waiting for my chance (IPL) because the preparation for me has been really good throughout the season. Because I know it is all about one season and excelling in that season.”

Anuj, who has spent a good amount of time on the sidelines in the recent past, is wiser now to understand the fluctuations of elite sport.

"You just need to be in the present and not think about the future. Because if you think more about the future, the critics will hurt you. Or if you think more about your good times or the future, it can also definitely harm you."

"But for me now, it is to keep doing the things that is needed and prepare myself for the best thing."

Stressing the importance of adapting to the ever-evolving game, Anuj has been working hard with GT batting coach and Australian legend Matthew Hayden on his six-hitting skills. 

“I’ve been asking only one thing to Hayden and it is about my power-hitting and range-hitting. Talking about the extension of my arms, how I can hit more sixes and longer sixes.”