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Join UsRahul Tripathi played a phenomenal knock for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their crucial Qualifier 2 match of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday (May 24). The high-stakes encounter took place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
SRH’s innings started on a shaky note, losing opening batter Abhishek Sharma to Trent Boult’s brilliance in the very first over. But Rahul Tripathi quickly took charge, ensuring that the early wicket didn’t derail SRH’s momentum.
Tripathi, coming in at No. 3, dominated the run-scoring, while Travis Head played a supportive role. RR’s decision to bowl Ravichandran Ashwin in the powerplay backfired as Tripathi capitalized, scoring crucial runs off the spinner. Despite Ashwin’s familiarity with the Chepauk Stadium, he failed to make an impact, conceding 25 runs in two overs.
Tripathi seemed destined for a half-century, but a mistimed shot led to his dismissal by Boult. On the third delivery of the fifth over, Boult bowled a slower bouncer, and Tripathi’s attempt at an uppish shot resulted in the ball landing straight into Yuzvendra Chahal’s hands at short third.
Fans took to Twitter (X) to praise Tripathi’s explosive 37(15) innings. Robin Uthappa described it as a ‘worthy cameo’, while other fans shared similar sentiments:
“Rahul Tripathi on fire🔥Smashing Boult and Ashwin for fun 🔥🔥,” exclaimed one fan.
“It doesn’t matter which bowlers you are, how big you are, everyone seems to be clueless in front of Rahul Tripathi. It’s really tough to show this kind of courage in knockouts when SRH lost the intent of merchant Abhishek Sharma early on,” noted another.
“Rahul Tripathi played like a dream but unfortunately couldn’t make it big. Well Played,” added another fan.
“Clutch blood @rahultripathi🙏,” tweeted another.
Trent Boult’s triple strike in the powerplay left SRH at 68/3. Despite being hit for big runs, Boult managed to secure crucial breakthroughs. After dismissing Abhishek Sharma in the first over, he returned in the fifth over to claim the wickets of a well-set Tripathi and the dangerous Aiden Markram, who fell cheaply for 1(2).
Even with three early wickets down, SRH managed to finish their powerplay with 68 runs on the scoreboard, thanks to Tripathi’s explosive performance.
