IPL 2017 Match 41, KKR vs RPS: Supergiants Rise After a 4-Wickets Win
IPL 2017 is turning out to be a clash of titans with teams leaving no stone unturned in order to climb the qualifier ladder. Rising Pune Supergiants, a team that ended its campaign at the bottom of the table last year, has shocked everyone and is turning out to be the biggest contender for the finale.
One thing that they have made sure this season is the balance between their batting and bowling attack. Same was the case during their clash against the No. 2 team in IPL 2017, Kolkata Knight Riders. RPS won the toss and opted to bowl first and since Robin Uthappa was ruled out for this game due to an injury and a struggling KKR lineup was inevitable.
Sunil Narine went on a duck and all eyes were on Gautam Gambhir as he had the responsibility to give a steady start to KKR’s innings in the absence of his consistent partner but he too failed to deliver and went cheap after scoring 24 runs off 19 balls. Manish Pandey managed to grab hold but he became the solitary scalp that Daniel Christian got during this game.
The most important thing that IPL 2017 has given us is the opportunity to let young talent prosper in front of our eyes and this time it was Suryakumar Yadav who played an exceptional knock of 30 off 16 and partnered with Colin de Grandhomme (30 off 19) to take Kolkata Knight Riders to a respectable total of 155 runs.
And then came Rising Pune Supergiants’ turn. It was an innings that should be remembered for a lone wolf and him being single-handedly taking down every bowler from the opposition’s attack. Every stroke that he hit was backed up with intent and the way he read every delivery was one hell of a magical performance. It was the No. 2 RPS batsman Rahul Tripathi.
While many of the biggest names struggled, Rahul Tripathi showed his true master class, bludgeoning Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers with his aggressive batting. He knew what his team needed and opted for clean hitting rather than showcasing his power on every delivery. He ended up scoring 93 runs off 53 balls, which included nine boundaries and seven marvelous sixes.
Relive how Tripathi single-handedly took Rising Pune Supergiant to a comfortable win.
Yes, he was not able to register a hundred but his song of maximums was enough for Rising Pune Supergiants to dethrone Sunrisers Hyderabad for the No. 3 spot in IPL 2017 points table. As for his century, the way he played yesterday, it seemed like there is definitely more to come in the future and he could be an unbeatable asset for RPS in the play-offs.