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. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has raised concerns about Chennai Super Kings opener Rahul Tripathi‘s batting stance, pointing out that the batter appears too shaky at the crease. Rahul Tripathi was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings for a hefty INR 3.40 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, but he has had a disappointing start to the ongoing season.
Rahul Tripathi is a proven top-order attacking batter known for his innovative strokeplay. Having made his IPL debut way back in 2017, the right-hander has amassed over 2000 runs at a strike rate close to 140. After a six-game stint in IPL 2024 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahul Tripathi was picked up by CSK for INR 3.40 Crore at the 2025 TATA IPL Auction.
Rahul Tripathi has a poor start to IPL 2025 after being as a opener with CSK in IPL 2025
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. Rahul 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.
Rahul Tripathi is a batter from Pune, Maharashtra and bats right handed. He made his IPL debut in 2017. Rahul Tripathi has played 98 matches to date in his IPL career and has scored 2,266 runs, with an average of 26.66.
He has also slammed 12 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 93 runs. Rahul Tripathi has hit 227 fours and 85 sixes in his IPL career. In the IPL Auction 2025, the Chennai franchise acquired the services of Rahul Tripathi for Rs 3.40 Cr. On Mar 2025, he played his last IPL match against Rajasthan at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati, India, scoring 23 runs off 19 balls.
After CSK’s second straight defeat in the ongoing season, Harbhajan Singh has opined that Tripathi’s excessive movement at the crease is affecting his balance and timing. He feels Rahul’s current form doesn’t justify his place in the XI and stressed that the Chennai team needs to rethink their opening combination to bounce back in the tournament after back-to-back defeats.
Rahul Tripathi is shaking his body more but not scoring runs- Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed struggling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Rahul Tripathi amid his poor form in the ongoing IPL 2025. Despite an inconsistent last two IPL seasons, CSK acquired Tripathi’s services for ₹3.40 crores at the 2025 auction.
The 34-year-old has opened the batting for the side in their first three outings of the season. However, Tripathi has failed miserably at the top, looking out of sorts in all three innings.
The veteran batter started his campaign with scores of 2 and 5 in CSK’s first two encounters against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He looked to be regaining a semblance of form in their previous clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) before falling for a 19-ball 23.
Talking about Tripathi’s poor form on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said (Via Hindustan Times):
“Chennai lost back-to-back matches. They are making too many mistakes. First, they are playing Rahul Tripathi as an opener. Tripathi is shaking his body more but not scoring runs,”
He added:
“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.”
After opening their IPL 2025 campaign with a convincing win over MI, CSK has lost back-to-back matches against RCB and RR. Tripathi has totaled a dismal 30 runs in three innings at an average of 10 and a strike rate of 120.
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad sacrificed his opening position for Rahul Tripathi
Harbhajan Singh urged CSK to drop the out-of-form Rahul Tripathi. His inclusion has resulted in skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad batting at No.3 and New Zealand star Devon Conway warming the benches.
Gaikwad and Conway formed a formidable opening partnership for CSK in their title run in 2023. Gaikwad has shown impressive form thus far this season with 138 runs at an average of almost 39 and a strike rate of 156.75. However, he has batted at one drop to accommodate Tripathi at the top of the order.
“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,” said Harbhajan.
He continued:
“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.”
It remains to be seen if CSK contemplate changing their top order after back-to-back losses when they take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next outing on Saturday, April 5.