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In the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Virat Kohli is often considered the unluckiest player, having never won the IPL title. Despite leading his team to the final three times, the trophy has always remained out of his grasp.
In the IPL 2024 final, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Rahul Tripathi played for SRH in this high-stakes match. Unfortunately, Tripathi had never won an IPL final before, and this match was no exception, reinforcing his reputation for bad luck in IPL finales.
Before playing the 2024 final with SRH, Rahul Tripathi had featured in IPL finals for two other teams. In 2021, he played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the final, which ended in defeat. Prior to that, in 2017, he was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant squad that also lost the title clash.
With these three appearances, Rahul Tripathi has become the only player in IPL history to play finals for three different franchises—and lose all of them. While both Virat Kohli and Mohit Sharma have also played in three IPL finals without winning, Tripathi stands apart by doing so with three different teams. Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Andre Siddarth Fast-bowling all-rounders: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Ramakrishna Ghosh Spin-bowling all-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Vansh Bedi Pacers: Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Anshul Kamboj, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Gurjapneet Singh Spinners: R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal
Adding to the disappointment is Tripathi’s poor performance in all three finals. He scored just 3 runs in 2017, only 2 runs in 2021, and managed 9 runs in the 2024 final. These underwhelming stats reflect his inability to deliver in big games.
Rahul Tripathi’s name is now etched in the IPL record books for all the wrong reasons. To play in three finals and lose them all—despite being with different teams—is a rare and unfortunate feat. As the league progresses, only time will tell if he gets another shot at redemption.
