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Rahul Tripathi's smashing performances with the bat in IPL 2021 made him one of the most attractive prospects at the IPL mega auction, with Sunrisers Hyderabad splurging Rs 8.50 crore (Rs 85 million) to bag him.
Tripathi is proving to be worth every rupee with some important knocks for Sunrisers.
The Maharashtra right-hander is SRH' top run-getter in IPL 2022 with 393 runs in 13 matches at an impressive strike rate of 161.
He made a telling difference with the bat against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday with a half-century which laid the platform for Sunrisers' 193/6.
Tripathi came in to bat early after Abhishek Sharma (9) perished in the third over. He didn't take time to get going, sweeping debutant Sanjay Yadav for a boundary over short fine leg before hitting the left-arm spinner over the off-side for another boundary.
The most telling blows came in the next over when he took MI's strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah to the cleaners. He smashed a length ball over midwicket for a six before steering the slower ball past short third man for a four, then playing a cracking drive through the covers for another boundary.
Tripathi and young Priyam Garg (42 from 26 balls) put on 78 runs from 43 balls for the second wicket to bring SRH back on track.
The 31-year-old right-hander stitched together another vital partnership with the attacking Nicholas Pooran in the middle overs as SRH kept getting boundaries at regular intervals.
Tripathi raced to his fifty from just 32 balls -- his third of IPL 2022 in the 14th over as he ensured SRH kept going at a run rate of 10 or more in the middle overs.
He played a beautiful lofted straight drive off pacer Daniel Sams for a six over long-on before playing the sweep over short fine leg for a four.
Tripathi played another delightful flick off pacer Riley Meredith for a six over midwicket before he perished to Ramandeep Singh in the next over for a fine 76 from 44 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes.
His dismissal saw MI's bowlers pull back things at the end as just 19 runs came from 16 balls after Tripathi's dismissal in the 18th over.
SRH bowlers then produced a wonderful show to snatch a three run victory to keep their slim hopes alive of making it to the play-offs.