IPL 2016, RPS vs KXIP Match 53 Preview: Can the Supergiants bow out of the tournament with a win?
The Rising Pune Supergiants and the Kings XI Punjab have just one game left and the winner of this match will avoid a last-place finish for this season. The Rising Pune Supergiants won their previous match against the Delhi Daredevils and showed the superiority that was missing in this entire season. MSD will be hoping that he can lift the Supergiants just enough to finish above the Kings XI.
The Kings XI Punjab lost advantage on the Supergiants after they lost their previous game to the Royal Challengers Bangalore and now find themselves below the Supergiants due to a lower Net Run Rate. The only way the Kings XI could finish above the Supergiants is if they beat them in this encounter.
Match 53 of VIVO IPL 2016 will feature the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Kings XI Punjab at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Cyclone Roanu is currently passing Andhra Pradesh and there might be chances of rain spoiling the game.
Match Date and Time: 21 May 2016, 1600 hrs IST
Match Venue: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
Weather:
Temperature: Max 36°C, Min 33°C
Humidity: Max 65%
Wind: 11 km per hour
Pitch Report: Par-score 140. Seamers should extract good bounce and carry from the pitch.
In-Depth Analysis:
The Rising Pune Supergiants finally had a good day in the bowling department against the Delhi Daredevils as their strike bowler Ashok Dinda recorded impressive figures of 3 wickets for 20 runs in his quota of 4 overs. Youngster Deepak Chahar made his debut for the Supergiants, bowling just 2 overs with the new ball. Thisara Perera has been expensive with the ball and even in a low-scoring match, he conceded 27 runs in 3 overs.
Fans were happy to watch Irfan Pathan back on the pitch and bowling for the Supergiants. Though Pathan failed to pick up a wicket, he was economical as he gave away just 17 runs in his 3 overs. Pathan has been more effective with the new ball and MSD should try bowling with Pathan in the powerplay overs.
The Supergiants had a decent game with the bat as well in a rain-interrupted game against the Daredevils. No surprises here as Ajinkya Rahane was the top-scorer in the match. Usman Khawaja has been getting starts but has failed to convert those for the Supergiants in his short tenure so far in this season. If Khawaja can get going, the spectators will be in for a treat.
The Kings XI Punjab have had their share of problems in this season. The Kings failed to bat well even on an ideal batting wicket in their previous match against the Challengers. Skipper Murali Vijay has been the top scorer for the Kings XI Punjab in this season with 394 runs in 13 innings including 4 fifties. The Kings XI will need their openers to provide them with a good start as their middle order batsmen have been inconsistent.
Sandeep Sharma has been the ray of sunshine needed in the bowling department. Sharma has picked up 14 wickets in 13 games with an economy rate of 7.32 runs per over. He has got good movement with the new ball and the Kings XI will hope that he can bring out his best performance against the Supergiants.
This match will not affect any team aiming for a spot in the playoffs but it will be an important game for these 2 sides as they can end this season on a strong note.