Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag rated Rahul Tripathi as the best number three batter of the recently concluded Tata Indian Premier League 2022. The right-hander impressed in the tournament while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Tripathi was able to hit the ground running for Orange Army and delivered the goods. The 31-year-old from Ranchi scored 413 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.5 and an impressive strike rate of 158.23 in IPL 2022. Tripathi is known for his selfless batting and mostly plays attacking shots from the get-go.
Thus, the right-hander played a key role for Sunrisers Hyderabad in matches that the team won. However, despite his consistent performances, Tripathi was not picked for the five-match T20I series against South Africa.
“Rahul Tripathi batted really well at No. 3. He scored over 400 runs this season and was the best No. 3 batter of the season. If you look at all teams, if there is one player who has attained most success at No. 3, it is Rahul Tripathi, who scored so many runs at that position. He won several games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and he contributed a lot to SRH winning five matches in a row,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
Tripathi returned with scores of 39 not out, 17, 71, 34, and 7 not out in five matches which SRH won on the bounce. Furthermore, he scored a fine knock of 76 runs against Mumbai Indians and played a key role in the team’s win.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra batter was picked for a whopping amount of INR 8.5 crores in the IPL 2022 mega auction by Sunrisers Hyderabad. The right-hander will look to continue the good show in the domestic circuit to continue knocking at the selection doors of the national team.
India will now face South Africa in a five-match T20I series. The Men in Blue will take on Proteas in the first T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Thursday.
