In the Qualifier 2 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, Rahul Tripathi disrupted Sanju Samson’s strategy of deploying R Ashwin in the Powerplay. The action unfolded at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, where Tripathi’s aggressive batting took center stage.
Facing the seasoned spinner Ashwin, Tripathi unleashed a flurry of boundaries, leaving Samson, the SRH captain, visibly frustrated behind the stumps. Tripathi’s onslaught began in the fourth over of SRH’s innings, as he effortlessly dispatched Ashwin for three consecutive boundaries.
Starting with a powerful shot over mid-off, Tripathi followed up with a delicate boundary past short third man. Not content with just boundaries, he then showcased his power-hitting prowess by dispatching a full-toss for a towering six over fine leg.
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Despite his explosive start, Tripathi’s innings was short-lived, as he fell victim to Trent Boult after scoring a brisk 37 runs off just 14 balls. Boult, who proved to be his nemesis, dismissed him, leaving SRH at 68/3 after six overs.
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Rahul Tripathi’s cameo innings included five boundaries and two sixes, with one of them being an elegant supla shot reminiscent of Suryakumar Yadav’s style. However, Boult had the last laugh, deceiving Tripathi with a slower bouncer that resulted in his dismissal.
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The disappointment was palpable on Tripathi’s face as he trudged back to the pavilion, having failed to read Boult’s variation. Even SRH owner Kavya Maran couldn’t hide her disbelief at Tripathi’s departure, as Boult claimed all three wickets despite conceding 32 runs in his three overs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Reddy, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal
