IPL Auction 2020: 3 teams likely to bid the highest for RR opener Rahul Tripathi

Maharashtra batsman Rahul Tripathi emerged onto the scene when he scored 391 runs in 14 games for the erstwhile Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 IPL season and led them to their first-ever IPL final. The aggressive opening batsman was Pune's most consistent batsman throughout the season.

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In the 2018 IPL auction, Rajasthan Royals bought Rahul Tripathi for a hefty amount of ₹3.40 crore. However, due to the presence of openers Ajinkya Rahane and Jos Buttler in the team, Tripathi failed to get regular chances at the top of the order and was asked to bat in the middle-order.

A change in batting position hampered Tripathi's performances as he scored just 226 runs in 12 IPL games for Rajasthan across two seasons. They released him ahead of the IPL Auction 2020 which will take place on December 19.

Let us have a look at three teams who could bid for him at the auction.

3. Kings XI Punjab

KXIP could go after Tripathi because they do not have too many quality Indian batsmen in their squad. WIth Tripathi's inclusion in the squad, the batting woes that have been haunting them for the past two seasons could vanish. With Anil Kumble at the helm of affairs, Punjab can look to rope in the right-hander as a backup opener for KL Rahul and Chris Gayle.

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2. Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB does not have an opener who could complement Parthiv Patel at the top. They have always had issues with the top order as Virat Kohli's team have never had a stable opening pair. Kohli has had to tinker with the batting order quite a lot and at times has left his favourable No.3 position to open for RCB. With the inclusion of Tripathi, their opening issues will be resolved and Kohli can get back to his favoured number three position and AB De Villiers can play at number four, which will stabilize their batting.

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1. Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR released Chris Lynn, which has made one of their opening slots vacant. Tripathi can replace Lynn at the top of the order for the Knight Riders. The Maharashtra batsman can open the innings with Shubman Gill or Sunil Narine and provide aggressive starts to the team. Both the players bat aggressively, which will benefit the Riders immensely. At just 26 years of age, Tripathi can be a part of the long-term core of Indian players for the Kolkata Knight Riders. 

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