SunRisers Hyderabad stylish batter Rahul Tripathi received his maiden call-up for the Indian cricket team on Wednesday when the BCCI announced the 17-member squad for the upcoming 2-match T20I series against Ireland, kickstarting June 26.
Rahul Tripathi Earned His Maiden Call-Up
While Hardik Pandya was named as the captain of the side, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named as his deputy for the series. The list of the squad announced by the BCCI also saw the return of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson in India colors. SRH’s Rahul Tripathi has finally received his maiden international call-up, thanks to his stunning performances in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League.
In IPL 2022, Rahul scored 413 runs in 14 outings at an average of 37.55 with a strike rate of 158.24. Earlier even after having a great season in IPL, Tripathi had not found a spot in the squad for the series against South Africa, but he has now finally received his maiden call-up.
Tripathi Expressed His Emotions
Meanwhile, a day after earning his maiden call-up, Tripathi spoke to NDTV over the phone and talked about his emotions. He said:
“I am very happy and most importantly, it is a dream come true for me. Every cricketer, when he starts playing the game, aims to represent his country. Obviously, this is the biggest achievement of my life, to represent my country. Surely, more good things to come and hopefully, there will be days when I am able to win games for my country. This is a proud moment for me,”
He also talked about the time he spent with SRH batting mentor Brian Lara. He said: “I learnt a lot from him. It was a blessing for me, I had a great time. Definitely, all those chats and important tips really help in a game. Really enjoyed my time with him.”
Team India squad for the Ireland series:
Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
