 | « Back to article | Print this article |
In the Summer of 2020, superstar Shah Rukh Khan had congratulated Rahul Tripathi for his scintillating knock of 81 for which he was adjudged hero of the match.
The Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner had tweeted, 'Rahul, Naam toh suna tha.... kaam usse bhi kamaal hai (Rahul, must have heard the name before, his game is even better than that).'
Those unaware of the context, 'Rahul, naam toh suna hoga' is a line from Shah Rukh's 1997 film Dil Toh Pagal Hai.
Three summers later, Rahul rose like a phoenix in IPL 2023. He turned the tide for his new team SunRisers Hyderabad in such a way that, Rahul, that name will stay in our memory for quite some time.
On Sunday, SunRisers chased down 144 runs against Punjab Kings with 8 wickets in hand and 17 balls to spare.
But it was not hunky-dory for SRH who at one stage were struggling for rhythm. Punjab started well with the ball and kept the run rate in control and got SRH two down. When Mayank Agarwal got out, the hosts needed 99 off 69 balls.
It was then that Rahul's calculated aggression turned the tide for SRH. Rahul, who had not been able to translate his previous IPL form into bigger things this year, suddenly found a way out.
The pressure was transferred back to Punjab and they couldn't cope with the onslaught. The asking rate was brought well under control because of Rahul's audacity. He scored an impressive 74 not out off 48 balls, showcasing both skill and determination. He found support from SRH Captain Aiden Markram who also remained not out with 37 off 21 balls.
Rahul helped SRH to get out of the bottom of the table in their third match of the tournament. They also ended Kings's perfect IPL 2023 record and handed them their first loss.