Former India head coach Ravi Shastri heaped huge praise on Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Rahul Tripathi and said he is not far at all from his maiden India call-up. Tripathi has been in sensational form this season as he has slammed With 393 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 161.73. On Tuesday, he scored his third half-century of the season to help Sunrisers Hyderabad secure a crucial 3-run win over Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The 31-year-old batter has been a consistent performer in IPL for the last couple of years, as a result, he was bought by SRH for a whopping INR 8.5 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction as his former team Kolkata Knight Riders also tried hard to get him back but failed.
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Shastri feels that Tripathi can get a place in Team India straightaway if any player gets injured from the current set-up.
“He’s not far at all. If someone doesn’t get up from the bench and gets up on the wrong side of the bed and gets injured, this guy can be slotted in straight away," Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo.
“And anyway, he can got at No.3 or No.4. He’s a dangerous player and should be in the midst," Shastri added while speaking in the mid-innings break of the match between Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad.
Shastri hailed Tripathi’s consistency in the biggest domestic cricket league and said the Team India selectors will be having a close eye on him.
“For just what he has done, if you want to value performances in domestic cricket, this is the biggest domestic cricket league. So if he’s come season after season performing, I’m sure the selectors will be watching that very very closely and giving him his due," the former all-rounder said.
When asked about having Tripathi in the Indian team as a good backup option for Suryakumar Yadav, Shastri said “No question about that."
The former India head coach further talked about Tripathi’s fearless batting approach and he is not afraid of any opposition or any bowler.
“You can’t say that ‘one swallow doesn’t make a summer’. He’s been around for a bit," Shastri said.
“And what I like about his game is the fearless cricket that he plays. He’s got a tag of being a known quantity and someone the opposition wants to get out quickly. Irrespective of that, he comes out and plays his game. And his shot-making ability, the all-round game he has, he’s not overawed by any opposition or any bowler, which is great to see," Shastri said about the 31-year-old.
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