IPL 2017: “Rahul Tripathi has been a revelation”, says Steven Smith after Rising Pune Supergiant’s (RPS) win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

IPL 2017: Steven Smith and Co. chased down the target comfortably, riding on Rahul Tripathi’s belligerent 52-ball 93 that included 9 fours and 7 sixes.

Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) continued with their dream run in Indian Premier League (IPL) season 10 on Wednesday, when they beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 41 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. First, a collective bowling effort on their bowlers’ part restricted KKR to a modest 155. Then, in reply, Steven Smith and Co. chased down the target comfortably, riding on Rahul Tripathi’s belligerent 52-ball 93 that included 9 fours and 7 sixes. The RPS opener continued to impress one and sundry with his batting at the top. Smith too was all praise for the youngster at the post-match presentation ceremony. Full cricket scorecard: KKR vs RPS, IPL 2017, Match 41 at Eden Gardens

“Been a good little run for us, six out of seven games. Tonight was a really good team performance. We did really well to keep them to 150 and Tripathi, hasn’t he been a revelation?” Smith said, also hailing his team’s fantastic run of late. “The games we’ve won, we’ve taken wickets through the middle overs and put the brakes on the opposition. Had quite a few different guys stand up and get us over the line. Good for us. Hopefully we’re there come finals time,” he added. Full cricket updates: KKR vs RPS, IPL 2017, Match 41 at Eden Gardens

Commenting on the KKR game, Smith said he thought the pitch will slow down as the match progressed. “We thought it would slow down later in the game, so we went pretty hard against the new ball. Then Tripathi just kept going. Unfortunate he didn’t get a hundred. He really deserved it,” he said. Smith expressed confidence on RPS’ good show in future as well. “We need to stay consistent though and keep doing the basics right and hopefully we’ll be there come playoffs time.” IPL 2017: Still looking to make a comeback in the IND team, says Tiwary

RPS play defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their next game at Hyderabad on Saturday. Having already won the home leg against the David Warner-led side, RPS have the edge with the winning momentum going their way.

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