Standing fourth in the table with 16 points, Rising Pune Supergiant will be looking to confirm their playoffs berth as they take on the out-of-contention Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium tonight. With four victories on the trot, the Steve Smith-led side will be high on confidence and will look to carry on that form into the final stages of the tournament.
Defending only 148 runs in their last fixture against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, RPS were able to hold their nerve during tense moments of the game and executed their plans to perfection at the death. Jaydev Unadkat was in impeccable form picking five wickets which included a hat-trick, while Ben Stokes put up a clinical all-round performance.
With their openers consistently providing good starts, the trio of Smith, MS Dhoni, and Stokes in the middle-order looks settled and their bowling department had established in their last game that despite being put up as their Achilles heel on paper, they can get the job done.
We take a look at the predicted XI for tonight's game against the Delhi Daredevils.
Ajinkya Rahane
A lynchpin in Pune’s batting line-up at the top of the order, Rahane has been one of the most consistent performers for the Supergiant over the past couple of seasons. However, he has failed to have any substantial influence this season and will be on the look out for some much-needed runs.
Rahul Tripathi
The right-handed batsman has been arguably the biggest find of the IPL season. Clinical in his strokeplay at the top of the order, he has been involved in several good opening partnerships with Rahane, giving Pune some much-needed impetus at the start of the innings. The right-hander has really impressed everyone with his fearless stroke-making and audacious approach against the new ball. Tripathi is also a very reliable fielder and can roll his arm across if and when the situation demands.
Steve Smith
The Australian skipper has been having a mixed season and will be looking to quickly get back to rhythm and continue his sublime form. He has the potential to bat through the innings and the skillset to pick up the gaps and then towards the end.
MS Dhoni
Ever since Dhoni was pushed up the order for Pune, he has looked more comfortable and has started playing more freely. However, he has not been able to perform consistently and will look to find his mojo back heading into the last leg of the competition. Pune needs their most experienced player to fire and if Dhoni gets into his groove, we might well get to see a thunderstorm of boundaries tonight.
Ben Stokes
After becoming the darling of the IPL auction this year, Ben Stokes sure has lived up to his lofty price tag. After struggling in the initial phase, the Englishman has really come into his own in recent times and his power-hitting has provided a major boost to the Pune middle order. The all-rounder has been extremely clinical of late for Pune, clinching three wickets and scoring 39 with the bat in their last match against SRH.
Manoj Tiwary
Although being an underrated performer in the Supergiant ranks this season, Tiwary has come in handy playing little cameos every now and then helping his side either chase a challenging total down or get an extra few runs to add to the total. Despite having to bat lower down the order at number six, the veteran has left no stones unturned to make his presence felt and create an impact on every game that he plays.
Daniel Christian
The Australian all-rounder has been really helpful for Pune with his big hitting and variations with the ball. The 29-year-old bats in the lower middle order and has shown an ability to adapt to any situation and batting condition.
Washington Sundar
The 17-year-old who was drafted in the squad to fill the void left by R Ashwin has justified his selection time and again by being economical in the powerplays and picking up wickets later in the innings. Sundar may not still be the finished product, but the youngster brings in a fearless approach to the RPS bowling unit and needs more game time to learn and prosper.
Shardul Thakur
The Mumbai pacer is having a decent season with the ball but has blown hot and cold in the competition so far. He has not quite been able to pick up wickets with the new ball. However, he has enough quality to get into the wicket’s column and Smith will hope he gets the side a few wickets with the ball in the penultimate stage of the competition.
Jaydev Unadkat
The lanky left-arm pacer has shown in the last encounter how lethal he is with the ball. Unadkat has been consistent in his bowling throughout the course of the competition. His variations of seam-up and slower deliveries have proved to be extremely effective at the death.
Despite being a tad expensive, Pune would want to persist with him as he the uncanny ability to pick wickets with the new ball and then come back with the older to cause concerns for the batsmen with his variations.
Adam Zampa
The 24-year-old Australian right-arm leg-spinner has played only two matches this season and picked only two wickets. Pune’s biggest success with the ball in last year’s IPL, Zampa should be drafted in tonight to fill in for Imran Tahir, who has to leave due to international commitments. The leggie possesses impressive control and variety in his bowling and will be looking to finally make his mark in this year’s IPL.
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