IPL 2017 | RPS vs KXIP, highlights: Punjab falters, Pune marches to play offs with emphatic win

The high voltage match between Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab is one of the most valuable matches of IPL 2017. Kings are invited to bat first by Supergiants.  Pune playing at their home ground in Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium will look to get all the benefits while Punjab has a 'Giant' task if they want to go into the playoffs. The match is a 'virtual knockout' for both the teams and losing side will go home.

Squads:

Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Glenn Maxwell(c), Shaun Marsh, Eoin Morgan, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Swapnil Singh, Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Sandeep Sharma

Rising Pune Supergiant (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Steven Smith(c), Manoj Tiwary, Ben Stokes, MS Dhoni(w), Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Adam Zampa

Live Scorecard  

Here are the live updates:  

#Pune reach into playoffs. 

# The way Pune started this season, no body would have thought they would be able to make it to the playoffs. But they have done it and done it with a six to Maxwell.  

# Four runs off the over and all were singles. I don't want to write anything. But yes Four teams of playoffs are decided. Mumbai, Hyderabad Kolkata, and Pune. Punjab go home.

Glenn Maxwell, right-arm off break, comes into the attack

# Just three runs off the over.

# I just hope the next encounter between Bangalore and Delhi will not be so much boring. However, they game will give nothing except pride as far as both teams are already out of playoffs 

Rahul Tewatia <1.0-0-6-0> is back into the attack

# Axar Patel to Rahane, One run, one run, one run and one run things have become so boring now. At least for me if not for Pune fans. 

#6 off the over and they only need 25 runs in 78 bowls. Mere formalities left here

# Swapnil Singh to Rahane, 2 runs, he is also not doing any magic here. Pune will not mind singles and doubles. 

Steven Smith, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT! Axar strikes, Rahul Tripathi is the man. He has to depart, but they don't have runs on the board to defend. Only magic can save Punjab and that will not happen at least Today.

# FOUR! Rahane welcomes him in style. 

Axar Patel comes into the attack

# Apart from the six, Tewatia bowled a tight over with five dot balls. 

# Can he do some magic here pull things out for Punjab? Maybe he can but he won't today. Six! from Tripathi saying bye bye to ball.

Rahul Tewatia, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

# 14 off his first over, Ishant has performed very poorly in this season. 

Ishant Sharma, right-arm fast, comes into the attack

# Sandeep Sharma to Tripathi, FOUR! This game is going to be the biggest nightmare for Punjab.  

# 6 runs off the over. Punjab needs wickets and needs them badly if they still hope to change the course of this match. Otherwise, Pune will easily reach into playoffs.  

# Mohit Sharma to Tripathi, Four, Steps up and played it to covers side. Tripathi is not going to change his approach. This man has impressed everyone with his hitting. 

Mohit Sharma, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

#Pune would not like to play in hurry as the target is small. Just three runs off the first over. 

Rahane and Tripathi are at the crease. Rahane is on strike. Sandeep Sharma will open the attack

# Oout. Zampa Finshes things off for Pune. Mohit Sharma looking to step out out and take charge on him but the ball goes high in the air caught by Christian. 

# Ishant Sharma Out! 9 down. Last man Sandeep Sharma comes out to bat. The game which was not looking so easy for any of the sides has turned into a one-sided match and Pune is definitely sitting on top of Punjab's head.  

# Adam Zampa to bowl his final over.

# Just two runs off the over. KXIP are 71/8 in 15 overs.

# That went past Mohit like a bullet and almost kissing off stump. Pune has been superior in both the departments, bowling and fielding so far. 

Ben Stokes <2.0-0-8-0> is back into the attack

Ishant Sharma is the new man in.

# OUT! They brought Unadkat to remove the tail and he is already on course. Punjab 8 wickets down. 

# Pune looking to wrap things up as early as possible and brings Unadkat, their lead pacer.

Jaydev Unadkat is back into the attack

# Zampa to bowl Swapnil in his third over. Can Swapnil or Mohit Sharma provide Punjab a fighting total? Highly unlikly but not impsible. 

Mohit Sharma, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# Christian to Axar, out Caught by Dhoni!! He strikes again and the last hope of Punjab Axar Patel departs. Pune would now look to wrap things up as early as possible.  

# Adam Zampa quickly finishes his second over with only 4 singles. 

# Christian bowled a fantastic first over. Conceded just 5 runs and got Important Saha wicket.

Swapnil Singh, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT! Saha departs. Poor- Poor stuff from Punjab. They have already given up. You can't win if you give before the fight is over.  

# Daniel Christian, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

# 11 Off the over and with that 50 comes up for Punjab. 

# Zampa to Axar, SIX, to deep mid wicket. Yes! they will take charge against him. And if they want to put a fighting total on-board here. 

Adam Zampa replaces Stokes

# What a spell of Thakur. He gave just 19 runs in his for over and took 3 wickets. Actually, he broke the backbone of Punjab by scalping three important wickets.

# SN Thakur to Axar, FOUR, He almost got him, Lucky Axar survives and Punjab gets a Boundary. 

# Thakur to bowl his final over but he has already done the damage. 

# Stokes is bowling very tight lines here. Just gave 2 runs off that over. 

Axar Patel, left handed bat, comes to the crease

# SN Thakur to Maxwell, out Caught by Rahane! Thakur gives his hand to Maxwell. Half of team gone for just 32 runs.

# Captain comes out to bat now.

# SN Thakur to Rahul Tewatia, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!! Punjab is struggling in a big match. The players seem to be in some kind of hurry. As if they have already decided to go home.

Rahul Tewatia, left handed bat, comes to the crease

# Stokes to Eoin Morgan, out Eoin Morgan Run Out!! Nothing right happening here for Punjab. 

# Ben Stokes, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

# Eoin Morgan, left handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT! Another big wicket goes. Marsh is the man, fall victim to Thakur. 'Ye hath Mujhe de de Thakur' Maxwell must be saying this.  

# Shardul Thakur to  Shaun Marsh,  two dot balls. Pressure building on Marsh.  

# Unadkat to Saha, SIX, 'Saha'ndar! 8 off the over.

# Unadkat to Saha, 1 run, edged and dropped, He got the Guptill on very first ball of his previous over and now almost scalped Saha. He has got his rhythm at right time and doing wonders with the red cherry. 

# One slip is in place for Marsh. Pune got the start they would have wished. Big wicket on the first ball but they would not look to settle with just one as Saha, Marsh both are in good touch and then the ''big show'' Maxwell. Not going to easy for either side.  

# Fuller on the pads, Marsh plays it on the rise for FOUR. 

Shardul Thakur, right-arm medium, comes into the attack 

# FOUR! Big responsibility on Marsh's shoulders. He is the man in form for kings and the team would want him to score big today.

# Shaun Marsh, left handed bat, comes to the crease

#OUT! Unadkat does a Zaheer Khan here. Guptill departs on the very first ball of the virtual Knockout.  

#Players are out in middle, Saha and Guptill to open the innings, Unadkat will open the attack

# Rising Pune Supergiant have won the toss and have opted to field