IPL 2022 | When you play, it's obviously your dream to represent your country: Rahul Tripathi

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Rahul Tripathi wishes to play for team India one day after his player of the match performance against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Tuesday.

Speaking to Harsha Bhogle in the post-match presentation, Tripathi said that he's enjoying the role given by the SRH's team management and reflected on his scintillating innings to help his team break the five games losing streak. Tripathi's match-winning knock of 76 came in just 44 deliveries, hitting three sixes and nine boundaries.

"I've enjoyed batting at three. It's important that if the openers have given a good start, then I can continue that. Or whatever the situation demands, I'm trying to learn from that. Bumrah's a great bowler. I was just looking to react to whatever he's bowling. Depends on how the wicket is playing and how I can counterattack at that point. If it's there and I can take it on, I will definitely go for the shot. If it's not there, then I'll just look to take those singles-doubles,"

He is knocking on the national selectors' door with a giant wood log. It might not be long before the door breaks open, and maybe for Rahul, the doors will open in the T20I series against South Africa as senior players are expected to be rested looking at the England tour. When asked about his range of shots, he said he looks to get the best result out of a particular delivery. 

"To win games is more important. Happy I could do that today. Sometimes when a bowler is bowling well, how to score those runs. In T20, there cannot be a moment where you can slow down. Every ball is an event, so I just think about what could be the best result,"

The right-handed top-order batter expressed his desire to play for his country by saying,

"When you play, it's obviously your dream to represent your country," he further added.

Tripathi is currently the eighth-highest run-scorer in the tournament on the back of his 393 runs in 13 innings, coming at an average and strike rate of 39.30 and 161.72, respectively. He's also the highest run-scorer for his franchise this year.

SRH have kept themselves in the playoff hunt with a slender 3-run victory over Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.