Rahul Tripathi

That changed in 2017, the tenth season of the Indian Premier League, when Rising Pune Supergiant selected him and then handed him a place in the playing XI. Given his modest domestic record, the decision surprised many, yet it paid off handsomely. Using quick feet and sharp hand-eye coordination, he troubled fast bowlers and spinners alike and regularly hit over the inner ring. His runs helped the franchise reach an IPL final for the first time.

Once Pune's franchise was dissolved, he joined Rajasthan Royals, where chances to open were rare and he was often used lower down as a finisher, a job that did not suit him. Form proved hard to sustain over two seasons there and two more with Kolkata Knight Riders. Still uncapped, he went into the auction with a base price of Rs 40 lakh and was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 8.50 Cr. Batting mainly at number three, he scored more than 400 runs in IPL 2022. The next season was a quieter one, but in 2024, featuring only in the second half of the competition, he showed he could adjust his game to the match situation.

In 2023, with senior players rested, Tripathi earned an international debut and played 5 T20Is on home soil. Slotted in at three, he made a couple of useful contributions before the established names returned and he dropped out of the side.

Chennai Super Kings signed him for the 2025 season, but it proved a difficult campaign. He scored only 55 runs from 5 innings at an average of 11.00 and a strike rate of 96.49, often getting out early while trying to accelerate, and he never found a settled role in a CSK team that struggled as a whole. He heads towards IPL 2026 needing to rebuild his form and confidence.