"Rahul Tripathi has a bigger IPL legacy than Virat Kohli!" - Fans want "most selfless T20 batter" to play for India after IPL 2022

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Rahul Tripathi returned to haunt his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as the Orange Army coasted to a third consecutive victory in the IPL 2022 season.

The Knight Riders posted a competitive total of 175/8 in their 20 overs and also got a couple of wickets in the powerplay. But Tripathi just took the game away from them with a scintillating knock.

Fans on Twitter hailed Rahul Tripathi for once again proving why he is such a valuable player for any franchise. Some fans also believe Tripathi deserves to play for India as soon as possible. Here are some of the reactions:

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Rahul Tripathi's counter-attack proved to be the difference between two sides

The target of 176 was just about par on a ground that has produced some runfests this season. However, the pitch had something in it for the quicks and KKR had to get early wickets to control the game.

As has been the story this season for SRH, openers Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma began cautiously. However, Sharma was dismissed early. Williamson played some delightful strokes and threatened to once again play the role of an anchor in the chase.

However, he was castled by Russell and SRH were in a spot of bother. But Rahul Tripathi stepped up and completely swung the momentum, taking the attack to the KKR bowlers.

He took a special liking to Varun Chakravarthy and forced Shreyas Iyer to take the mystery spinner out of the attack. Tripathi's fearless knock of 71 brought the required run-rate well within SRH's reach.

Even after KKR got the swashbuckling right-hander dismissed, Aiden Markram displayed a masterclass on how an innings should be paced in a chase. The South African remained unbeaten on 68* as SRH coasted home with seven wickets in hand and more than a couple of overs to spare.