3 reasons why India should try Rahul Tripathi as an opener in T20Is
After a long wait, Rahul Tripathi finally got that elusive India cap, making his T20I debut in the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka. The Maharashtra batter, who is just under two months shy of turning 32, showcased his capabilities to brilliant effect in the final T20I, racing along to a 16-ball 35.
He looked at ease against the Lankan bowlers. With some pure cricketing shots, he set the tone for the hosts. While Suryakumar Yadav hogged the headlines courtesy of a blistering century, it was Tripathi who provided the thrust early in the innings, having walked out at the fall of Ishan Kishan's wicket.
While he was used at No. 3 in this series, there is a case for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter to be used as an opener too. He isn't averse to the role, having done so over the years in the IPL.
Congratulations to Rahul Tripathi who is all set to make his T20I debut for #TeamIndia 🇮🇳👏
#INDvSL @mastercardindia https://t.co/VX1y83nOsD
Let's assess three reasons as to why India should try him out as an opener going forward in T20Is.
#1 India haven't had quick starts in the powerplay in T20Is
One factor that let India down in the T20 World Cup last year was the lack of quick-fire starts in the powerplay. Both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul fell into a shell and were unable to break free at will.
Tripathi's display in the third T20I against Sri Lanka, where he took the spinners and seamers apart en route to a 16-ball 35, casts him as an option to use the powerplay. His IPL numbers in the powerplay too, make for good reading, as he averages 33.30 at a strike rate of 142.11.
India's failure to capitalize on the field restrictions extended into the Sri Lanka series with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan not laying down a marker. To that end, trying Tripathi as an opener could help their cause in T20Is.
#2 Presence of a plethora of middle-order options
While Suryakumar shoulders the bulk of the responsibility in the middle overs, there are other options who are best suited to playing spin in that phase as well. India could call upon Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson, while Hardik Pandya too, could do with easing himself into his innings before teeing off.
This leaves the Men in Blue spoilt for choice as far as building their middle order is concerned. There is always the option of shoring Axar Patel up in order to take on specific matchups.
With this in mind, India can happily use Tripathi right at the top in T20Is with enough quality to follow thereafter. This definitely comes across as a win-win, with intent merchants all the way through the batting lineup.
#3 Could segregate Tripathi and Suryakumar across phases
Surya continues to reaffirm his T20 greatness, another blinder of an innings! 👏👏👏
Side note : So happy that Rahul Tripathi has played an innings that gives him a bit of a foot hold in the Indian T20 team. He is thoroughly deserving of that.👍
The very thought of two fine players of spin and pace who play at a good tempo batting together is a salivating one. If the names of those two players are Tripathi and Suryakumar, it is an even more lip-smacking proposition.
To that end, it makes sense to use them at No. 3 and 4. Having said that, India would be better off separating the two and individually tasking them with pushing the game forward across different phases. This could see them sustain a healthy run rate right through the course of their 20 overs and finish with a par-plus total.
This automatically also brings the possibility of the two also batting together. With Tripathi opening, it could just disrupt the opposition's matchup plans, given how both are solid against most kinds of bowling.
What do you make of Rahul Tripathi as an opener for India in T20Is? Have your say in the comments section below!
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