IPL 10, Final, MI v RPS – Rising Pune Supergiant Predicted XI

Rising Pune Supergiant’s outstanding run of 9 wins in their last 11 games has culminated into a maiden final appearance. They struggled initially and succumbed to 3 losses in their first four games but a great run of form ensured that they finish second in the points table after the league stages were concluded.

They met Mumbai Indians in the 1st Qualifier and romped past them at their own den to reach the final which is to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday. Incidentally, Mumbai has fought back to win the 2nd Qualifier to reach the finals and both teams will be head-to-head for the fourth time this season. RPS have had a clean sweep 3-0 record thus far but will they be good enough on the night when it matters the most? They certainly have a good team which has gelled exceptionally well this year.

Mumbai Indians are a big side and will play their fourth final in 10 seasons. They have just lost one final so far and will compete fiercely against a resurgent RPS. They made light weight of 2-time champions KKR when both sides clashed in Bengaluru on Friday. A target of 108 was never going to give Mumbai any trouble as they raced past it with more than 5 overs to spare and 6 wickets in hand.

RPS will have their work cut out. They find themselves in a peculiar position of being the underdogs despite beating Mumbai thrice this year. Let us have a look at the Predicted XI of RPS for the final of IPL 2017:

Openers (Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi)

Rahane stepped up for the all-important game against Mumbai the other night with a serene knock of 56. In the absence of Ben Stokes, the Indian Test vice-captain knew that the onus was on him to get the runs at the top of the order. In an otherwise disastrous season this year, where he averages 24.14 after 15 innings, Rahane has taken a liking to the Mumbai attack as he has scored both his half-centuries against the 2-time champions this year. Another solid contribution is needed from this 28-year old in the finals.

Tripathi stuttered when the stakes were at an all-time high. He was dismissed without scoring in the first over when his stumps were rattled by Mitchell McClenaghan. The right-hander has had a wonderful debut season this year but he needs to make the most of the opportunity to bat in the finals. A good showing here will definitely raise his stocks for next season.

Middle Order (Steve Smith, Manoj Tiwary and MS Dhoni)

While Smith’s season started with a sterling knock of 81* against Mumbai Indians, the Australian has failed to produce another big innings post that. He has made a couple of 30’s and a 40 but a big knock had eluded him. He played a careless shot on the second ball he faced on Tuesday to leave his side tottering at 9 for 2 in the second over. Smith has been a world class player for the last 3 years and must look to lead from the front in the finals.

Manoj Tiwary has had an outstanding season so far. Shuffled up and down the order early on, Tiwary is now settled at the No. 4 slot and rightly so. His brilliant 58 helped RPS’s innings to get back on track against MI the other night. He has a game to build an innings early on and explode towards the end overs. Tiwary at No. 4 holds the key for RPS as he carries the middle order on his shoulders.

Dhoni entertained cricket fans around the globe with an entertaining inning of 40* off 26 balls. His innings was the difference between both sides at the end as he launched an attack on the Mumbai bowlers in the last two overs to take 41 runs off them. Dhoni’s innings not only gave him confidence, as he struggled to be at his best this year, and also gave the much-needed momentum to the RPS side going into the innings break. Dhoni again will hold the key in the finals as he has experience of playing in such pressure games. This will be his 7th final in the IPL and the only one without being a captain.

All-rounders (Daniel Christian and Washington Sundar)

Daniel Christian’s performance this year has been very steady but he has been a crucial cog in the wheels of RPS, make no mistake. He does the work for them in the middle overs and is a decent bet during the death as well. His variations are wily and well disguised with the ball. With the bat, Christian can knock the skin of the ball with his power-hitting.

Washington Sundar had a memorable outing in the biggest game of his career so far. Asked to bowl inside the fielding restrictions, Sundar stuck to the task and returned with a Man of the Match performance for his 3/16. He is very accurate and bowls at a flatter trajectory which makes it difficult for batsmen to get underneath the ball. He relies on accuracy and natural variations, keeping things very simple. The 17-year old will have to come up with a similar performance in the all-important final.

Bowlers (Lockie Ferguson, Adam Zampa, Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat)

Fast bowler Ferguson played in his third game this year in the 1st Qualifier and showed no signs of rustiness. He bowled with pace and hit the right lengths to ensure that there is no fight back from Mumbai after Sundar’s exploits. His economy rate of 6.54 has been the best amongst the RPS bowlers this year.

Zampa’s game was reduced to just one over as Mumbai Indians had three left-handers in their lower middle order. Smith missed a trick in not bowling him early but will be wary of it this time around. Zampa gives the ball a fair bit of rip and can be used early on with the hard ball. He has a few variations up his sleeves and can pose a threat for Rohit Sharma, who has struggled against the leg-spinners this year.

Thakur was taken to the cleaners by Parthiv early on as the southpaw struck him for three boundaries in the Powerplay. The fast bowler’s first two overs resulted in 23 runs but he did a good job by picking 3/14 from his last two. The 25-year old has a big heart and a great attitude for a fast bowler. He is better off in the middle overs and does a fantastic job at the death.

Unadkat has been ever reliable this year. With 22 wickets under his belt in 11 games, the left-arm pacer has done a remarkable job with the ball, especially at the death. He delivered another shrewd performance on the big night returning with 1/24 off his four overs. Unadkat has stepped up for RPS this year and will lead the attack in the final.

A fourth Maharashtra Derby will be enjoyed by cricketing fans all around the globe. Both sides have some world class players who can win the game for their side on their day