RPS vs KXIP, IPL 2016 Results, Match Highlights & Updated Points Table

In a dead rubber game, Rising Pune Supergiants played home to Kings XI Punjab in the 53rd match of the IPL. The result of the match would be inconsequential to the fate of the teams in contention for the playoff spots. Both teams had similar stats before the game. Both had played 13 games, won 4 and lost 9. RPS were ahead of KXIP at number 7 by the virtue of better net run rate.

In spite of being an insignificant game in the league, a lot was at stake for the two teams. Both have had terrible tournaments, but still they won’t want to finish last on the points table. A win for either team would give them the number 7 spot and the loser will get number 8. Above all, they would play for pride and finish the season on a high and hope to carry the momentum to the next season.

KXIP had emerged victorious in the last clash between the two teams way back in the league. Batting first, RPS got to 152/7 in the 20 overs. Faf du Plessis top-scored with 67 and Mohit Sharma was the best bowler for KXIP with figures of 23/3. KXIP did not face too many difficulties in chasing the score and won in the 19th over. Both openers Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra scored half-centuries and shared an opening stand of 97.

This match was going to be the last to be played at Visakhapatnam which was the assigned home ground for RPS after all the matches were moved out of Maharashtra due to a drought situation in the state. They had won one and lost one before the game on this ground.

Kings XI Punjab won the toss and elected to bat

Playing XIs:

Kings XI Punjab:

Murali Vijay (c), Hashim Amla, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Axar Patel, Farhaan Behardien, Kyle Abbott, Rishi Dhawan, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma

Rising Pune Supergiants:

Ajinkya Rahane, Usman Khawaja, George Bailey, Saurabh Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Thisara Perera, Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa, Ashok Dinda, Deepak Chahar

A flying start by the KXIP openers

Hashim Amla began on a positive note and hit Irfan Pathan for 2 boundaries in the first over. Next two overs went for a total of 9 runs. Murali Vijay then came into the act smashed some glorious boundaries and collected 8 and 15 runs off the 4th and 5th overs respectively. Amla joined him and sent the bowl over the boundary off Perera’s 6th over. The score raced off to 52 without loss at the end of the powerplay.

Vijay propelled the innings despite 2 quick wickets

KXIP lost their first wicket when Ravichandran Ashwin accounted for Amla’s wicket for 30 in the 8th over. Wriddhiman Saha followed him back to the pavilion in the very next over as Adam Zampa got him out caught at the hands of Ashwin. Vijay kept batting steadily and held one end. He kept knocking singles around to keep the scoreboard moving. He was joined by Gurkeerat Mann who started to push pressure back on the bowlers. Zampa went after Zampa in the 13th over and smashed him for 14 runs to take the score to 102/2 after 13 overs.

Gurkeerat’s spirited effort aided KXIP to 172

Vijay brought up his 5th half-century of the season in the 14th over. He got there in 36 balls. Few balls later, he lost his wicket to Ashwin looking to up the ante. He departed for 59 runs off 41 balls. Gurkeerat then hit 3 sixes and a four within 5 balls to move the run rate up. He got to his fifty as well off just 30 balls. But, off the next ball, he was picked up by Ashwin. He then got his fourth wicket off the penultimate ball of his spell as he trapped David Miller bang in front of the wickets. Behardien and Axar lost their wickets in the quest for quick runs. Ultimately they reached 172 and put up a competitive total on the board.

The fifties from Vijay and Gurkeerat put KXIP in a good position. They could have got more if one of these stayed till the end. R Ashwin was finally close to his best as he picked up 4 wickets for 34 runs, but too good too late for RPS. Dinda, Zampa and Perera bagged wicket apiece. Dinda was the most economical bowler as he gave away just 16 runs in 3 overs. With a decent total on the board, it was going to be an interesting chase.

The in-form Rahane departed early

The openers Ajinkya Rahane and Usman Khawaja began well. Both classy batsmen hit a few gorgeous shots to race off to 34 in overs. RPS suffered a huge blow as their premier batsman Rahane got unlucky and was caught down the leg side. He went for 19 when the team’s score was 35. George Bailey came to the middle smashed 2 boundaries off the last 2 balls of the 6th over to take the score to 44/1 at the end of the powerplay.

A collapse in the middle order made it tough for RPS

Bailey was stumped by Saha off the bowling of Axar Patel in the 7th over. Saurabh Tiwary and Khawaja struggled to hit big strokes and the required run-rate kept mounting. They added 31 runs from 32 balls for the 3rd wicket and the rate needed, touched 11 per over. Both departed in the 12th over bowled by Gurkeerat. Tiwary made 17 off 15 and Khawaja scored 30 off 29. MS Dhoni walked into bat at number 5 and all the hopes rested on him. He had Irfan to accompany him as 88 runs were needed off 7 overs at that stage.

A happy ending for RPS courtesy Dhoni’s special

Pathan went early for just 3 in the 14th over. Perera joined Dhoni in the middle and both went on the attack. They collected 13, 16, 10 and 15 runs from 15th to 18th over. Perera departed in the 19th over and Mohit Sharma bowled a tremendous over and gave away just 6 runs against Dhoni. The equation looked out of reach for RPS when 23 runs were needed off the last over.

It turned out to be the best finish of the season so far. Axar bowled the last over. Dhoni took all upon himself to finish the match. The first ball was a dot followed by a wide. He smashed a six of the second ball followed by a brilliant save by Amla on the boundary to save a certain boundary and it resulted in another dot. When 16 runs were needed off 3 balls, Dhoni hit a four and then 2 sixes in a row to seal the match in his typical fashion. He finished with 64 runs off 32 balls 4 fours and 5 sixes.

RPS enjoyed their best at the end. Dhoni was superb as he was confident to take it to the last ball climb the mountain all by himself. Once again he proved why he is known as the best finisher in the world. RPS got a consolation victory and finish number 7 on the points table. KXIP became the team to finish at the bottom in the season 9.

Match Result:

KXIP 172/7 (20 overs), Vijay 59, Gurkeerat 51, R Ashwin 34/4

RPS 173/6 (20 overs), Dhoni 64, Khawaja 30, Gurkeerat 15/2

RPS won by 4 wickets

MOM: MS Dhoni

IPL 2016 Points Table and Standings

Position	Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Net RR	Points
1	SRH	13	8	5	0	0	+0.355	16
2	GL	13	8	5	0	0	-0.479	16
3	RCB	13	7	6	0	0	+0.930	14
4	KKR	13	7	6	0	0	+0.022	14
5	MI	13	7	6	0	0	-0.082	14
6	DD	13	7	6	0	0	-0.102	14
7	RPS	14	5	9	0	0	+0.015	10
8	KXIP	14	4	10	0	0	-0.646	8

IPL 2016 Schedule

Date	Time (BST/IST)	Fixture	Venue
May 21	8:00 PM	Gujarat Lions v/s Mumbai Indians	Kanpur
May 22	4:00 PM	Kolkat Knight Riders v/s Sunrisers Hyderabad	Kolkata
May 22	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v/s Royal Challengers Bangalore	Raipur