Published: May 14, 2017, 02:00 PM (IST)
Edited: May 14, 2017, 04:12 PM (IST)
Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) will host Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in a crucial tie of the ongoing IPL 2017 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The team who wins secures the last spot in the playoffs. The live cricket telecast of all the matches of IPL 2017 will be available on Set Max, Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. The live online streaming of all the IPL 2017 matches will be available on ESPN, SonyLIV and Hotstar. RPS had a remarkable turnaround with an all-round performance from the side. It has been a similar story for KXIP. However, the twist here is that RPS are coming with a defeat against DD while KXIP have won successive games under their belt. Full Cricket Scorecard: Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) vs Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), IPL 2017, Match 55 at Pune
RPS have few concerns in terms of their batting as well as bowling. With no South African players on the side, RPS will be without their spin spearhead Imran Tahir. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane’s on and off form could be worrisome for RPS. That has added automatic pressure on Ben Stokes, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Tripathi and skipper Smith. Bowlers like Jaydev Unadkat and Washington Sundar have to step up to cover up for Imran Tahir. However, there is Stokes to help bolster the pace attack.
As for KXIP, the move to promote Wriddhiman Saha on top has worked wonders. Along with him, Martin Guptill, Shaun Marsh, skipper Maxwell have come good and have filled the void left by Hashim Amla. As for the bowlers, Mohit Sharma’s brilliance in the death and Sandeep Sharma’s capability to scalp wickets in the initial stage has kept KXIP momentum going.
As for the overall record, KXIP have the edge with record of 2-1. However, both their wins were in Mohali. This would be the first time in two years KXIP would be introduced to the Pune conditions.
