Batter Rahul Tripathi of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) showcased his prowess against his former team the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the thrilling Qualifier 1 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The skilled righthanded batsman delivered an impressive performance scoring 55 runs off 35 balls at the striking Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on the memorable Tuesday of May 21.
Tripathi came in to bat in the first over after Mitchell Starc removed opening hitter Travis Head. The right-handed hitter received a slight respite when Sunil Narine dropped a catch in the early parts of his innings. He was saved once again when KKR declined to request a review after Mitchell Starc caught him LBW with a boiling yorker.
He had to balance prudence and aggression as wickets fell around him, but he was able to maximize the powerplay to some extent. When he hit his half-century, the former KKR batsman found a steady middle-overs partner in Heinrich Klaasen.
However, he was unable to cause additional damage as he was unfortunately run out in the 14th over due to Andre Russell’s brilliance.
Fans responded to Rahul Tripathi’s performance under pressure on social media. Here are some reactions on Twitter:
“The intent machine,” one fan remarked.
“Ex knight Rahul Tripathi dunking on KKR after drs fumble,” one tweet read.
Rahul tripathi doesn’t gets as much recognition as he deserves,” another tweet read.
Rahul Tripathi last scored a half-century in the IPL 2023 season
The right-handed hitter was demoted to the bench after appearing in the 2024 season opener against KKR and the away game against PBKS. He had to wait more than a month for his next outing, when he impressed with a quick 33-run knock in the successful epic run chase against PBKS at home.
Tripathi did not have a remarkable season, and he struggled for the whole of the preceding season. His latest IPL fifty came on April 9, 2023, at home against PBKS.
Tripathi’s removal has exacerbated SRH’s problems in the first innings. Following his dismissal, SRH were obliged to use the impact sub in the batting department, sending out Sanvir Singh. However, Sunil Narine dismissed him for a golden duck.
As of writing, SRH is battling at 125/8 after 15 overs, with Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the crease.