‘If you’re shaking so much, when will you…’: Harbhajan wants CSK batter dropped from Playing XI in crystal clear verdict
Harbhajan Singh, who played for CSK in the past, was critical about Rahul Tripathi's batting stance and said he is shaking too much while batting.
Chennai Super Kings opener Rahul Tripathi came under the scanner after a poor start to the Indian Premier League season. The right-handed batter has scored just 30 runs in three matches and failed to make any impact at the top of the order. Tripathi was signed by CSK for INR 3.40 Crore at the mega auction, and the management made the big call by playing him as an opener over skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has demoted himself to number 3. The 34-year-old registered back-to-back single-dig scores - 2 and 5 in the first two matches; he did show some resilience against the Royals with his 19-ball 23, but CSK suffered a second loss on a trot.
Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who played for CSK in the past, was critical about Tripathi's batting stance and said he is shaking too much while batting.
"Chennai lost back-to-back matches. They are making too many mistakes. First, they are playing Rahul Rahul Tripathi as an opener. Tripathi is shaking his body more but not scoring runs. Sorry, Tripathi is a very good player, very hard-working, but I am crystal clear that he should not be picked in the XI. If you are shaking too much while batting then when will you see the ball? - runs are not coming and the intent is also not visible at the moment from him," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Tripathi hasn't been able to make an impact with the bat in the last couple of seasons, and now, his sluggish start in IPL 2025 has only made things worse.
'Don't think Tripathi should get a place in the XI'
Meanwhile, Harbhajan is also not impressed with CSK's decision to promote Tripathi over Gaikwad in the batting line-up.
"Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is a proper opener, has sacrificed himself at number 3 for Tripathi. The opening pair has always been a big strength for Chennai Super Kings, be it Matthew Hayden, Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, or even Devon Conway," he added.
The veteran spinner suggested that CSK management has been clueless so far and now they need to bring Devon Conway in the XI in place of Tripathi to turn things around.
"Conway is also in the team, but he is not getting the chance in the XI. They have been clueless so far while picking the XI. I don't think Tripathi should get a place in the XI, but Conway definitely does," he said.
