Veteran India player Dinesh Karthik opined that Rahul Tripathi should be the next in line to take the number 3 position in team India’s T20I team whenever Virat Kohli is not playing.
Impressed by Rahul Tripathi’s intent in the 3rd T20I, which was a series-decider, against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Dinesh Karthik hailed the “selfless” Rahul Tripathi for his aggressive knock. Tripathi came in early after India lost Ishan Kishan and blasted his way to 44 runs off 22 balls, clattering 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Virat Kohli hasn’t played T20Is for India since the last T20 World Cup, and it is uncertain whether he will return to play T20Is again.
“Rahul Tripathi deserves that No.3 spot in the Indian team whenever that comes. If Virat Kohli chooses to play, it’s okay. If Kohli is not around, Tripathi should be the first choice and not somebody else who has done well somewhere else. He is a very good player and is doing something very selfless, something that India need going into ICC tournaments,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Stressing more on Tripathi’s blistering knock, Dinesh Karthik pointed out that Tripathi’s career was on the line after failing in 4 out of 5 innings before the Ahmedabad T20I. But the right-hander still came out all guns blazing and played the type of knock that India “need going into ICC tournaments”.
Emphasizing on Tripathi’s strike rate and inent, Dinesh Karthik added: “The names replacing Rahul Tripathi will be big at some point in time. So we might just look at the scores and say he just scored the 30s and 40s. Let’s be very, very aware of the situation he’s done it in and the intent and context of every time he’s walked in.
“Knowing that his career was on the line, but still took the aggressive option and the big shot option because his team needed him to do that. We shouldn’t forget that.”
India don’t have any T20I series until the IPL, where Tripathi, who was terrific for SRH last season, will get more chances to strengthen his case in Team India colors.
