Rahul Tripathi likely to make his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in 2nd T20I

Rahul Tripathi | Source: Twitter

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday (4 January) announced that wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury. 

The BCCI also added Vidarbha wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma to India's T20I squad as a cover for the Kerala batter. 

Sharma garnered the eyeballs during his IPL stint with Punjab Kings in the latest edition of the cash-rich league, where he mustered 234 runs from 10 outings at an average of 29.25 and a strike rate of 163.64. 

Meanwhile, Samson's injury might provide an opportunity for Rahul Tripathi to make his T20I debut for India. 

The 31-year-old has been travelling with the Indian team for quite some time now but has never got a chance to don the Indian jersey. 

However, on Thursday in Pune, he could get an opportunity to play for India in the absence of Sanju Samson. 

The Maharashtra batter was stellar for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022, amassing 413 runs at a strike rate of 158.24. 

Tripathi, who represents Maharashtra at the domestic level, will be eager to play his first T20I match for India at his home ground in Pune. 

Another player who might be in consideration is Maharashtra opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. Though he failed to make an impact in the nine T20Is he has played for India, his numbers in domestic white-ball cricket have been impressive. 

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