On Sunday, March 30, Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad took a light jab at his opener Rahul Tripathi after another rough match. Tripathi struggled in all three games so far in the IPL, which hasn’t helped the team’s batting lineup. Chennai lost to Rajasthan Royals by six runs, unable to chase down 183 runs in Guwahati.
After the match, Gaikwad was asked why he batted at No. 3. He mentioned that with Tripathi and Rachin Ravindra not getting good starts, moving him down in the order made sense. “Over the years, Ajinkya batted at 3 and Rayudu handled the middle-overs. We thought it would be better if I came in a bit later to manage those middle overs, so Tripathi could bat more aggressively at the top,” Gaikwad explained during the post-match chat.
He added, “It doesn’t really matter because I’m batting early in all three games anyway. We decided that during the auction, and I’m fine with it. I can take risks when needed and keep the strike moving.”
Chennai, who hasn’t chased a target over 180 in six seasons, fell short again and ended at 176/6. Gaikwad’s 63 runs were solid, but it wasn’t enough for a win. A few big shots from Tripathi (23) and Gaikwad helped Chennai start with 42/1 in the powerplay.
Wanindu Hasaranga came in strong for Rajasthan, taking out Tripathi, who was caught by Shimron Hetmyer. Shivam Dube (18) was looking good with two sixes off Hasaranga too. But then, a great play by stand-in captain Riyan Parag turned the tide. Despite Gaikwad’s effort, Chennai kept losing wickets, and Hasaranga dismissed Vijay Shankar (9) after he hit a big six. Gaikwad reached his half-century off 37 balls but fell to Hasaranga, making him the spinner’s fourth victim as Chennai dropped to 129/5.
Interestingly, Tripathi is a teammate of Gaikwad’s from Maharashtra. In their recent Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Vidarbha in January, Gaikwad opened the innings while Tripathi came in at No. 3.