The Ranchi-born right-handed batsman burst into the scene from nowhere after putting up a stupendous show for Rising Pune Supergiant in the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Ranchi-born batsman had shown no signs of his inherent capabilities - having performed rather modestly in all formats of the game until then.
Son of a man who came from a cricketing background - the senior Tripathi featured for the junior Uttar Pradesh team and had also served stints in university cricket, a transfer to Pune meant that Rahul got the opportunity of honing his skills at one of the oldest academy around - Deccan Gymkhana.