IND vs ZIM 2022: "Why Ishan Kishan? Why no Rahul Tripathi?" - Twitterati bemused as the India batter continues to warm the benches

Team India left out Rahul Tripathi as they named their playing XI for the third ODI against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Monday, August 22.

The Men in Blue have already wrapped up the series, having won the first two games. KL Rahul and Co. thrashed the hosts by 10 wickets in the first game before beating them by five wickets in the second.

With the series done and dusted, fans thought that the management would give the fringe players some game time and give them a taste of international cricket. However, India persisted with the same batting line-up and made two changes in the bowling department. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna made way for Deepak Chahar and Avesh Khan in the playing XI.

Fans were certainly not happy to see Tripathi not getting an opportunity to present his case in the dead rubber. They slammed the management for wasting his talents by leaving him out of the first XI.

Here are some of the reactions:

Tripathi has been in stupendous form with the bat in the last couple of IPL seasons. In IPL 2022, the right-handed batter slammed 413 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 158.24.

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“It will be unfair if they don’t get a game" - Robin Uthappa on Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi's absence

Veteran cricketer Robin Uthappa believes the likes of Gaikwad and Tripathi have waited in the wings for quite a while to get some game time.

Speaking to Sony Sports Network ahead of the third ODI, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer stated:

"Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi have been waiting in the wings for a while. It will be unfair if they don’t get a game and it will also be unfair to the youngsters who are playing right now, for example, Shubman Gill, who is in such great form.”

Both Tripathi and Gaikwad are not part of the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 squad and it seems they will have to wait a little longer to represent India once again.