Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden was all praises for Rahul Tripathi as the latter played yet another sensational knock in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. On Tuesday (May 17), the right-handed batter made a mockery of Mumbai Indians’ bowling line-up and cleared the fence for fun. The 31-year-old brought up his third fifty of the season and ended up scoring 76 off 44 balls.

Riding on his brilliance, SRH brought an end to their five-match losing streak and narrowly won the encounter by three runs. Hayden was mighty impressed with Tripathi as he backed the dasher to make his Team India debut sooner than later. Notably, India will host South Africa in a five-match T20I series which gets underway on June 9.

As several senior players are reportedly expected to be rested for the series, many fans and experts are backing Tripathi to find a place in the squad. Hayden is also of a similar opinion. “I just love his ability to up front so hard. I think that’s what has been really missing inside the SRH batting line-up,” Hayden told Star Sports.

“That powerplay is so significant. especially when the wickets are getting slower, so the first six overs, you have to make use of it. It was a really good leadership decision as well to get back down the order,” he added. Meanwhile, Hayden was particularly impressed with Tripathi’s ability to tackle short-pitch deliveries. He believes the SRH star can be an asset in the T20 World Cup 2022, which will take place in Australia.

“The way Tripathi took up the responsibility was good to watch. I think he has got some real potential in the future to go all the way at the international level. He is someone that is a dangerous striker of the ball, he can hit both sides of the wicket,” stated the 50-year-old.

“In particular, what impresses the most is his ability to play short-pitched bowling. I mean, getting to Australia, let’s just take the liberty to say that’s where it is, not s.