Match Preview: Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kings XI Punjab

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  • Who will finish with the wooden spoon?

    Venue: ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam | Date & Time: 21 May at 1430 (GST)

    BIG PICTURE

    An 82-run defeat to the Royal Challengers in a rain-affected match has left the Kings XI Punjab bottom of the table. With just eight points from their thirteen games, the Kings XI now take on the Rising Pune Supergiants in both of the franchises’ last games of the 2016 season. They are playing only for pride now, as the winners will finish above their opponents.

    The Supergiants will, at least, enter this final encounter in a better frame of mind than the Kings XI. They come into this game on the back of a 19-run win over the Delhi Daredevils, where Ajinkya Rahane delivered another solid innings and Ashok Dinda collected three wickets. It’s also left them with eight points from their thirteen games.

    The outcome of this game will decide the seventh and eight positions in the table. Saturday’s first encounter pits a Supergiants team that has the momentum of a win in their last game against a Kings XI side hit by the early departures of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. It is a game that might see the bowlers gain the upper hand.

    Adam Zampa also claimed three wickets the last time he played in Visakhapatnam. For their opponents, Sandeep Sharma performed with relative proficiency in an otherwise miserable defeat by the Royal Challengers. On both sides, Usman Khawaja and Wriddhiman Saha have got quick starts without ever converting them into big scores. Perhaps this will be the day that the players who have threatened much in the tournament will finally make good on all that promise.

    KEY BATTLES

    Usman Khawaja vs Sandeep Sharma: Khawaja has only excelled in flashes this season, born largely of his inability to stick at the crease for any substantial length of time. His star quality has shone through but all-too-briefly, and ‘Sandy’ brutally punishes any complacency. It should prove an engaging contest.

    Punjab batting vs Adam Zampa: The Kings XI’s top order is still their best hope for a competitive total, but Zampa has been in great form lately. Keeping the Australian spinner at arm’s length will no doubt be key to getting the better of a bowling attack that performed admirably against the Daredevils.

    WATCH OUT FOR

    Ajinkya Rahane: a lone bright spot in Pune's disastrous campaign

    Ajinkya Rahane: a lone bright spot in Pune’s disastrous campaign

    Ajinkya Rahane: Although his pace hasn’t been electrifying – his 42 against the Daredevils came off 36 balls – Rahane’s contributions at the top of the order have been vital. The only Supergiants batsman to perform with any sort of consistency for the length of the season, Rahane can be expected to pick up his bat and deliver one last time this season. Even though Hashim Amla and Murali Vijay are likely to open the batting for the opposing side, don’t be surprised to see Rahane outperform them in their respective roles at the top of the order.

    EXPECTED XIs

    The Supergiants grabbed a win via the Duckworth-Lewis method last time out, but it was fully deserved for the way they tied down the Daredevils with some persistent bowling. The team is unlikely to change a great deal.

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

    Kings XI suffered a bad defeat against the Royal Challengers but, weakened by the absence of Maxwell and Stoinis, don’t have radically different options in reserve. Stick, rather than twist, seems to be the order of the day.

    Murali Vijay, Hashim Amla, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Farhaan Berhardien, Akshar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Sandeep Sharma, KC Cariappa/Anureet Singh

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