Veteran India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has urged fans to not forget Rahul Tripathi’s name when it comes to contenders to replace the veteran batters in the Indian T20I team and backed him to take the no.3 batting spot in the lineup.
Karthik also said if Virat Kohli chooses to play T20Is, it's fine, but whenever he is not around, Rahul Tripathi deserves that no.3 spot in the Indian lineup thanks to his ability to play aggressively in powerplays and hit both spin and pacers.
In the third T20I against New Zealand, Tripathi showcased his skillset with a 22-ball 44 -run knock in which he hit 3 sixes and 4 fours and one of the sixes was a ramp shot to Lockie Ferguson.
“The beauty about him is that’s his DNA. To go out there and irrespective of how big the situation is, how big the game is, these are the kind of players you’ll need because, in the big matches, he’ll do exactly that.
I think we shouldn’t forget that in 3 months' time, 6 months' time. Maybe he’ll have a good IPL, maybe he won’t but he deserves that Indian team number 3 spot whenever that comes. If Virat Kohli chooses to play okay but if Virat Kohli is not around he should be the first choice, not someone who has done well somewhere else,” said Dinesh Karthik on Cricbuzz.
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31-year-old Tripathi had to wait for a long time for his India T20I debut and in 5 matches, he has 97 runs at a strike rate of 144.77. He had also impressed in the third T20I previously against Sri Lanka, scoring a quick-fire 35 runs to give the Indian innings impetus.
Karthik, who played with Tripathi in the KKR setup, added: “Let’s be aware of the situation, the intent, and the context every time he has walked in. Selflessly, knowing probably his career was on the line but still taking the aggressive option, still taking the big shot option, high risk option. Trusting to do that because his team needs him to do that in a must-win game.
When his career was on the line, he did a fabulous job in the last game against Sri Lanka and this game. He’s not someone who’s gonna get many chances, still he went out with that aggression, took high-risk options and did exactly what the captain and the coach wanted.”
The veteran cricketer also urged the fans not to forget Rahul Tripathi’s name when it comes to giving him chances in the team and backing him.
“Whatever I’m going to say now, I don’t think it’s for Rahul Tripathi, it’s for all cricket fans, who follow Indian cricket very closely. Please don’t have temporary amnesia in the near future, because the names replacing him will be big. And then we might go and look at the score and say he just scored a 40 or a 30,” Karthik said.
Rahul Tripathi will also be seen in action in IPL 2023 where he plays for the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise.
