Rahul Tripathi started playing in IPL back in 2017. He was picked up by the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) in his late twenties, and it was a make-or-break deal for him. At RPS, he came under the wings of MS Dhoni—his first IPL captain. His life changed.
It’s not that MS Dhoni became a godfather for the youngster, but for him, he wasn’t any lesser than a mentor. His relationship with MS Dhoni started on the eve of 10th April, 2017. He was about to play his debut game against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) the next day where he would get out for ten.
Rahul Tripathi Still Remembers His IPL 2017 Debut As His Rising Pune Supergiants Skipper MS Dhoni Guided Him Throughout The IPL
Rahul Tripathi came into last weekend’s IPL 2022 mega auction with a base price of Rs 40 lakh and was bought for Rs 8.50 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“I still remember when I was on my IPL debut, he came and said, Play as you play in nets. He treats every player as his younger brother. He guided me throughout the tournament in 2017. Sometimes he scolded me as well. Like when I was playing for Rajasthan Royals and KKR, I used to consult him whenever I got time. What are you doing these days. he always used to ask me,” Rahul Tripathi said.
In October 2021. KKR had stormed into the finals of the IPL 2021 where they were about to take on Chennai Super Kings. It was Rahul Tripathi who had hit the winning runs in the eliminator against Delhi Capitals to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat.
The whole team was on cloud nine. MS Dhoni, Rahul Tripathi’s mentor, had followed KKR’s campaign. Even though he led CSK to their fourth IPL title, he was the first to console KKR.
“Before I start talking about CSK, it’s important I talk about KKR. For the position they were in after the first phase, it is very difficult to come back and do what they have done. If any team deserved to win the IPL this year, I feel it was KKR.”
Furthermore, MS Dhoni was the first to rush to Rahul Tripathi as he got out for two runs. Just like KKR, his IPL dream came to a crashing halt as he had his hamstring pulled. He was just unfit to bat. MS Dhoni was watching this all along, and knew what to tell a disheartened youngster.
“I had a hamstring injury and therefore, I came in lower down the order. I couldn’t score runs, I was really struggling to run between the wickets. After I got out, Mahi bhai tapped on my back and said: It wasn’t your day, but you gave your hundred percent. I was feeling very down since we lost the final, but Mahi bhai came after the game also and spoke to me for a minute or so.” Tripathi said.
When Rahul Tripathi’s name appeared for the IPL 2022 auction, all the Maharashtra batsman wished was for a team, and nothing more. After a three-way tussle, the right-handed batter finally went to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 8.5 crore. A sum that the former Kolkata Knight Riders player had not imagined.
Rahul Tripathi Had A Great Experience At Kolkata Knight Riders
Mentors played a huge role in Rahul Tripathi becoming the batter he is now in the IPL. If MS Dhoni influenced him, then Shahrukh Khan’s humour recharged him to take the world on. The 30-year-old tried to be diplomatic, but in the end, did concede that he got very attached to KKR where he moved in 2019.
It was here that his career really blossomed. He would bat as number four or five, as a floater or as a finisher. Maybe that is the reason SRH paid a whopping INR 8.5 Cr for him in the 2022 Mega auction which concluded recently.
He said he was looking to kill time during the quarantine as he is in a Ranji Trophy bubble where he will be in action for Maharashtra.
Speaking about Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, who is also co-owner at KKR, he recalled one such incident where he has humbled by his ‘warm personality.’
“I had good fun with SRK. Whenever he spoke to me…he is such a warm personality.”
In 2018, when Rahul Tripathi was bought by Rajasthan Royals, he got a 3.2 Cr deal. Cut to 2021/22, his brand value had risen. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) paid him INR 8.5 Cr. Any other middle-class kid from the country would have been satisfied. This is where his third mentor, life-long guide, his father stepped in.
For a player like Rahul Tripathi, it’s very important to not lose the bigger picture: Playing for India. Despite getting big bucks, there is no touch of arrogance in him.
Perhaps his father played a role there, for he is the one who keeps reminding him ‘money is secondary.’ He laughed at how his father, Ajay Tripathi, reacted when the auctions were going on. Nonetheless, he quickly reminded his son not to lose his national ambition.