One shot from glory: How Pune almost pulled off a Supergiant win

IMMEDIATELY AFTER the Rising Pune Supergiant announced their decision to strip MS Dhoni from the captaincy, they were bombarded with several negative remarks. Some fans and experts even derided the Pune franchise. Worse was to follow. Soon after the player auction, RPS had become a laughing stock- courtesy of their mediocre team, which they were forced to build after exhausting their purse on Ben Stokes (14.5 crores). From thereon, they could only watch one quality pacer after another being gobbled up by other teams and had to be content with rookie pacers Lockie Ferguson and Jaidev Unadkat. 

MVP STOKES: 

However, much to the surprise of everybody, RPS kicked-off their campaign on a high by beating the mighty Mumbai Indians (RPS beat MI thrice in IPL 10- the only team to do so after CSK in 2013). All eyes were still on the Stokes though, who took a few games to get into the groove. Soon, he made his presence felt with the ball by picking up 3 wickets against RCB & 2 against MI (walked away with the man of the match in both games). 

After exuding brilliance with the ball, it was now time for the willow to talk. Chasing 161 against Gujarat, Stokes single-handedly blasted Pune to a win by scoring a sensational 103* in front of the home crowd. While Pune might have looked silly in keeping all their eggs in one basket, Stokes saved them from any embarrassment by hammering 312 runs and picking 12 wickets. Not to forget, some incredible effort on the field too. Simply put, Stokes lived up to his MVP billing! 

THE TAHIR EFFECT: 

Back to the auction. It was shocking to see the World's No.1 leggie (ODIs & T20s) being snubbed initially. However, Mitch Marsh's injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Pune and the moment Imran Tahir was drafted into the Purple and Pink colors, his magical variations bamboozled the opposition and the Supergiant couldn't believe their luck. Before leaving for national duties, the Proteas spinner had snapped 18 wickets at a staggering average of 20.50. 

EMERGENCE OF TRIPATHI & UNADKAT: 

While Usman Khawaja remained on the bench, Faf du Plessis services too were rarely required. Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson also fell into the flash in the pan category. Adam Zampa and Dan Christian too didn't make significant contributions either. That said, a large part of Pune's success should be ascribed to the emergence of Rahul Tripathi, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and Unadkat.

Unadkat, who came into the tournament with mediocre credentials, surprised one and all with his ability to pick wickets with the new and old ball. Although he didn't bowl with any hostility, but his cutters and change in length kept him amongst the wickets in every game. In the end, the left-arm seamer finished with 24 wickets in 12 games at an impressive economy of 7. He also got his first ever hat-trick in the IPL. Tripathi too came out of obscurity and expressed himself at the top. The Maharashtra lad's fearless approach took pressure away from Ajinkya Rahane, who looked a shade of himself in this edition. The opener provided rollicking starts for Pune and finished with 391 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 146. Manoj Tiwari also drew upon experience from his halcyon days at the Knight Riders and chipped in with the willow. 17-year-old, W Sundar's ability to stay calm in the powerplay and squeeze a few frugal overs also came in as a bonus for RPS.

After the initial few games where Ashok Dinda and Deepak Chahar's bowling proved to be dismal, Pune had little option but to try their inexperienced players. Fortunately, it worked. Furthermore, Pune also didn't have a fallback option after Tahir and Stokes' departure. This time the void was felt in the final showdown in Hyderabad.  

SMITH-DHONI LEADERSHIP: 

While the contribution of Stokes, Tahir and Indian fringe players can never be overlooked, the leadership qualities of Steven Smith and Dhoni once came to the fore. After Dhoni's unceremonious exit from the helm, several pundits doubted whether the Smith-Dhoni partnership would stand the test of time? Remarkably, both legends like true professionals relied on each other's experience and instincts to shape Pune's fortunes en-route to the playoffs. While Smith lived upto his reputation, Dhoni couldn't match his pyrotechnics from yesteryears. That said, his match-winning knock in the league stage against Sunrisers and the late onslaught against Mumbai in the first playoff kept the naysayers at bay.  

Unlike many other teams, Pune lacked finishers barring Stokes. The bowling too at best on paper was ordinary. However, despite all odds, the Pune franchise punched above their weight, all the way into the finals. Alas, couldn't cross the final hurdle. Agonizingly, they were just one swing away from glory. 

Very proud of @RPSupergiants this year. Couldn't have asked for more from all players. great final and congrates to @mipaltan for the win.

— Stephen Fleming (@SPFleming7) May 23, 2017

And, who knows? The Supergiant might not even return for the 2018 edition. Regardless, they rose to a new high in 2017 and almost pulled off another fairy tale win like the Rajasthan Royals did in the inaugural season.

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