IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane Lavishes Praise On Rahul Tripathi And Shreyas Gopal

Rajasthan Royals had their task cut out in their last league game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. A defeat in the game would have ended their season at that time only. And even before the start of the game they lost two of their biggest stars – Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.

Buttler along with his compatriot Ben Stokes has left for England. England have named the duo in the 12-member squad for the first Test against Pakistan which is beginning on May 24. Prior to the departure, Buttler was in sensational form.

Buttler had been an absolute revelation for the Royals since being promoted as an opener. In six games, he scored five consecutive fifties and missed the last one by 11 runs. On the other hand, Stokes also showed his worth in his last game when he took 3 for 15 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

However, in the end, the Royals managed to cope up well in the duo’s absence as they beat the Royal Challengers by 30 runs to stay alive in the tournament. They got two unlikely heroes in Rahul Tripathi and Shreyas Gopal.

Opening the innings, Tripathi held one end together, carrying his bat through for a 58-ball 80. On the other hand, Gopal ran through the Royal Challengers’ lineup. He picked up 4 for 16 as Royals bowled out the Royal Challengers for just 134.

Speaking after the game, Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane heaped lavish praise on the duo.

“Shreyas (Gopal) was bowling quite well and with two right-hander batsmen at the crease. I thought that he will have a good chance to take wickets and he delivered. He was able to provide us with crucial breakthroughs. Especially AB de Villiers, and he was supported well by the experienced Ish Sodhi on the other end,” Rahane said during the post-match press conference.

Rahane further said that Tripathi did not the team miss Buttler much.

“It all clicked together for us today. We missed (Jos) Buttler today but Tripathi more than made it up for his absence. He is a quality player and he played brilliantly under pressure. The innings was vital for us today and it was the reason why we were able to post a competitive total,” he said.

The Royals’ fate now depend on the results of the other game. They are currently fourth in the points table with 7 wins in 14 games.