IPL 2017: Rising Pune Supergiants’ best possible XI

When chairman Sanjiv Goenka and his group decided to enter the canvas of the Indian Premier League (IPL), they were well aware of Pune’s past blots in the most viewed T20 league across the world. But it was a fresh start, a new bunch of players, a new look support staff and a venue with much more added colors. With Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals cooling off their heels in the 2 year period, Rising Pune Supergiants had the license to board some of the best cricketers in the circuit, who also had the privilege of singing the winning anthem in the past. Their maiden march started off as per plan, after thrashing Mumbai Indians in the first match by 9 wickets, but that turned out to be one of their three wins out of 14 games that season. MS Dhoni led RPS finished 7th last year and injuries to star players- Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis didn’t help their matter at all. In a bid to turn the table around, the Pune franchise has made some striking changes in their ranks by passing the captain’s armband from Dhoni to Australia’s Steven Smith. They roped in England’s Ben Stokes for INR 14.5 crore, the costliest buy in the auction. And they will look to set the field on fire before putting an end to their 2-year love affair with the IPL. The Rising Supergiants unit looks promising on papers and here we analyze their best possible combination for the playing XI: Openers: Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: BCCI) Karnataka’s fire power Mayank Agarwal is likely to open the innings with reliable batter Ajinkya Rahane. Mayank had an impressive domestic season and he solves Pune’s woes at the top. Last year, Supergiants experimented with three different openers- Faf du Plessis, Saurabh Tiwary and Usman Khawaja. Mayank was acquired by RPS from Delhi Daredevils during the second trading window this year. Rahane, on the other hand, is very much aware of his role. He had a good season personally last year, scoring 480 runs at an average of 43.63, with 6 fifties. The Mumbaikar doesn’t carry the reputation of being a big hitter of the ball, but his strike rate has always been over 120’s, making him a perfect choice to see off the first 5 overs smoothly. Middle Order: Steven Smith, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni, Baba Aparajith (Photo Source: BCCI) Now, this is the section where Supergiants will wish to come good consistently. Steve Smith is the perfect candidate to steady the innings after a sudden hiccup, while Faf du Plessis is no stranger in slicing off the middle order muddle. Punjab’s Axar Patel clearly remembers the impact Dhoni can create during the later stages of the game and this time the ‘off-duty’ skipper is likely to be supported by the young talent Baba Aprajith. Steve Smith’s T20I record might not do justice to his overall stature, as the Aussie skipper has fetched only 2 fifties from 30 matches but he has proved his utility in the past, ironically for the Pune franchise owned by Sahara group. He will also be leading this year’s campaign for the Supergiants, and that will surely bring out the best in a man who loves to call the shots. 32-year old Faf du Plessis has been one of the most successful South African batsmen in the IPL. In 51 games, du Plessis has scored well over 1200 runs at a healthy average of 30 plus. Having missed out in the last season due to injury, Faf will look to go in an all guns blazing mode. He has done it in the past for Chennai Super Kings, and it won’t be surprising if he does it again this time. Many eyebrows were raised when it was learnt that the most successful captain of the IPL- MS Dhoni, won’t lead the pack in this year’s edition. But the positive side of this development is the fact that we might get to see an even more dangerous finisher turning in the heat. Dhoni is still the most valuable player in this side and his cameos during the slog overs have often changed the course of the game. Having lifted the IPL twice, he might have a word of wisdom for the new skipper in the ranks. This could just be the year for Tamil Nadu’s promising youngster Baba Aparajith. The 22-year old didn’t feature in the IPL so far, in spite of bagging a contract with CSK in 2014. A member of the Indian side during the U-19 title triumph in 2012, the right-handed batsman has shown glimpses of his caliber in the domestic circuit. He has done well in the longer format of the game and here he might get an opportunity to push his case in the shortest version. Aparajith can also chip in with effective off-spin bowling, and this will give added options to the skipper. All-rounders Ben Stokes Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) The buzz is getting louder with each passing day, and New Zealand-born England international Ben Stokes is certainly raring to go. Stokes will add more firepower to the already boost up batting order of the Pune franchise. His strong built allows him to have a crack from the word go, and coming at lower down the order, Supergiants will defiantly need someone like him to shift gears at wish. His medium fast spells will also come into the picture as he is aware of what is required of him in the fast-paced format. So far Stokes has played 77 T20 games, striking at over 130 with the bat and dropping in 32 wickets under his kitty. He looks to be in good form and if he gets going, then each buck that has been spent on him will be worth it. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa. (Photo Source: BCCI) Call him the trump card or the ‘go to man’ of the Supergiants side, Ravi Ashwin holds the aces just like every season. He has scalped 100 wickets so far in the premier league, picking a set of 10 in the last couple of season. Apart from having a reputation of foxing the best in the business, the number 1 bowler and all-rounder in the Test format can very well strike a chord with the bat lower down the order. Ashwin can start the proceedings during the powerplay, and he can also press the brakes in the middle overs. The entire bowling pack will revolve around this man. Probably Pune’s only positive from last year’s edition, Australian import Adam Zampa took the centre stage last season following his head turning 6/19 against the title winners Sunrisers Hyderabad. Zampa played 5 games, picking up 12 wickets at an average of 9.58. The combination of Ashwin-Zampa is shaping up as a potent threat to the other sides and their combined 8 overs are more likely to make or break the situation. Fast Bowlers Jaydev Unadkat, Ashok Dinda Jaydev Unadkat, Ashok Dinda. (Photo Source: BCCI) 32 wickets from 35 matches and a journey that has mostly seen stop and start events, Jaydev Unadkat should get an opportunity early in the tournament. Unadkat’s ability to pitch the ball in the right area and exploit the conditions makes him a potent bowler. He will compete with Shardul Thakur for a place in the XI, and if experience is something to go by, Unadkat will come in as Steve Smith’s first choice at the start of Supergiants campaign. Spirited fast bowler Ashok Dinda brings in the x-factor in this XI. He can unsettle the openers with his pace and come back to uproot the settled batter’s stick at the fag end of the innings. He picked up 11 wickets from 9 matches at an average of 21.00 last season, and that performance will pin a hope in the upcoming season. Possible Replacements The squad doesn’t lack a spark and is expected to make an impression this time around. The top looks pretty settled and the only switch could be between Baba Aparajith and Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary. Tiwary missed out in the last season and will be desperate to grab his chances this time around. With the presence of Usman Khawaja in the lineup, it will be interesting to see if he gets a look and at the expense of whom. With the exit of Australian all-rounder Mitch Marsh, the spotlight falls on Daniel Christian. The team will heavily depend on their latest purchase Ben Stokes, but if the paddles fall off mid season then Christian will be shouldering the all-round responsibility for the Supergiants. Indian veteran Rajat Bhatia’s all-round skills might also enter the picture if they decide to drop a lower order batsman from the lineup. Shardul Thakur might be roped into the XI if the experienced campaigners fail to make their case. The Pune side will also enjoy the service of Ishwar Pandey, another promising fast bowler. Overall the squad looks balanced on papers and all they need to do now is fire it up on the 22 yards. Rising Pune Supergiant’s final squad for IPL 2017: Steven Smith (C), MS Dhoni Usman Khawaja, Adam Zampa, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Sharma, Ankush Bains, Ashok Dinda, B Aparajith, Ben Stokes, Daniel Christian, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Ishwar Pandey, Jaskaran Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Lockie Ferguson, Manoj Tiwary, Mayank Agarwal, Milind Tandon, Rahul Tripathi, Rahul Chahar, Rajat Bhatia, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur

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