IPL 2021: Rahul Tripathi - Can The Cameo-Man Repeat What He Did For Pune In 2017?

Kolkata Knight Riders recorded a commendable 10-run victory in their IPL 2021 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. One of the heroes for KKR was the 30 year old now almost a veteran in the circuit – Rahul Tripathi. The right-handed batsman gave the team the impetus after the loss of their star batsman Shubman Gill in the crucial middle-over period carrying on the momentum provided by Nitish Rana for the two-time champions on a traditionally slow wicket in Chennai.

IPL 2021 Full Coverage | IPL 2021 Schedule | IPL 2021 Points Tally

Tripathi came out to bat at the end of the seventh over with KKR putting on 53 on the board. It was important for him not to consume a number of deliveries before getting started to make optimum use of the middle-overs – the phase of play between overs 7 and 15 where historically a number of teams lose their way and get bogged down especially on a spinner friendly Chepauk wicket.

Tripathi showed his intentions in the very first over he faced in the tournament clubbing Mohammad Nabi for a six. He continued to get the boundaries and even did not spare Bhuvneshwar Kumar – one of the most restrictive fast bowlers in IPL history. Tripathi lifted him over square leg for a maximum before slicing the Indian seamer between the wicket-keeper and third-man for a crafty boundary.

Tripathi showed his entire repertoire of shots – from brutal heaves to delicate touches. He scored a magnificent 53 off just 29 deliveries and dominated the match-changing 93-run partnership off just 50 deliveries for the second-wicket with Nitish Rana. By the time he was dismissed, KKR had reached 146 in just the 16th over giving a great platform to the likes of Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell to unleash their destructive game at the death.

IPL 2021: KKR Beat SRH by 10 Runs to Win their 100th IPL Match, Shah Rukh Khan Reacts

As it turned out, the Rana-Tripathi stand was the defining stand of the match and in the final analysis the differentiator between the two teams. It was the urgency and initiative shown by KKR’s number three that put them in a commanding position at the end of their innings and eventually gave them victory in the match.

Tripathi has been around for a while in the Indian domestic circuit and in the IPL. 2017 was the breakthrough year of his career. Batting at number five, he smashed a magnificent 95 off just 74 deliveries playing for Maharashtra against Bengal in the Quarter-Final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Delhi.

He was the second-highest scorer for Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 edition of the IPL aggregating 391 runs in 14 matches including two fifties. Two qualities stood out throughout the competition. The first was Tripathi’s ability to score at a high rate – he had the highest strike rate for RPS of 146.44 (min. 100 runs) in the tournament. The second was his consistency. Promoted to open for RPS, he struck seven 30-plus scores in 8 innings – five of these at a strike rate of in excess of 140! It was his blazing cameos at the top of the order which played a pivotal role in taking his franchise to the final where they lost by a solitary run to Mumbai Indians.

Interestingly, Tripathi’s stand-out performance came against the franchise he is currently representing in 2021. He blasted 93 off just 52 deliveries including 7 sixes to single-handedly help RPS chase down KKR’s 155 at the Eden Gardens. The second-highest score of the innings was a mere 14.

59 off 41 against the Sunrisers, 45 off 31 against the Mumbai Indians, 38 off 23 against KKR, 37 off 28 and 31 off 23 against RCB, 33 off 17 against Gujarat Lions – this was Tripathi providing the blazing starts to RPS at the top of the order allowing Ajinkya Rahane to anchor from the other end also giving Steven Smith time and space to play the role of the playmaker at number three.

Tripathi would want to re-produce for KKR in 2021 what he did for RPS in 2017 – albeit in a different position. Batting one down, he would play a crucial role in the middle overs for the Eoin-Morgan led side and would be a vital link between the openers and the middle-order. If he continue to provide the cameos from number three he would have given the power-hitters to come later in the order the ideal platform to launch their A-game on the opposition attack.

His quick 30s and 40s could well turn out to be the difference for KKR this year.

​

Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here

• ipl
• IPL 2021
• KKR
• kolkata knight riders
• Rahul Tripathi