With just the final weekend of the league phase to come, and after 52 matches, still, only one team has qualified for the IPL 2017 playoffs. The Rising Pune Supergiant were the latest side that failed to seal a spot in the final four, going down to the Delhi Daredevils in a tight contest at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday.
Needing a win to join the Mumbai Indians in the playoffs, the RPS bowlers did well enough to keep the Delhi Daredevils innings to 168.
In control of the chase for the most part, RPS went into crumble mode towards the end, even with all the experienced finishers in their lineup, to give DD a second consecutive win in IPL 2017.
While they are still likely to qualify for the playoffs, RPS now need to beat the Kings XI Punjab in Pune on Sunday to make absolutely sure.
The Rising Pune Supergiant chase began in the worst possible manner, with Ajinkya Rahane (0, 1b) clean bowled off the first ball of the innings by a peach of an in-swinger from Zaheer Khan.
Steve Smith and Rahul Tripathi (7, 6b, 1x4) then steadied the ship a touch with a 36-run partnership off four overs – Smith scoring the bulk of the runs in that partnership -- before the latter fell to Zaheer again, this time caught behind.
Another handy partnership followed, with Smith, this time, joined by Manoj Tiwary, but just when RPS looked like they had the chase under control – the required run rate was below nine – Smith (38, 32b, 4x4, 1x6) was trapped in front by Shahbaz Nadeem.
That brought Ben Stokes to the crease, and with the form that he is in, you would have backed the Englishman to take RPS home.
Stokes looked like he might do it as well, with the left-hander putting on a nice partnership with Tiwary, with DD doing themselves no favours by dropping the latter twice.
However, what the Delhi Daredevils did do well was not leak too many boundaries, and as a result, the required run rate went up above ten, even if RPS looked like the more likely team to pick up the win.
That win possibility did decrease considerably, though, in the 16th over, when Stokes (33, 25b, 3x4, 2x6) holed out off Mohammed Shami, leaving RPS needing 44 from 26 balls.
The man that replaced Stokes in the middle, however, was the man who knows a thing or two about finishing a game off. With the Delhi crowd going crazy as MS Dhoni walked in, this game was set up perfectly for the greatest chaser of all-time, even one whose powers might be a little on the wane.
It was not to be, as Dhoni (5, 5b), courtesy some poor running and some brilliant fielding from Shami, was run out, and with the required run rate creeping over 14, the match looked like it was Delhi's, especially with 25 runs needed off the final over.
Tiwary (64, 45b, 6x4, 3x6), though, kept it interesting with two sixes off Pat Cummins in the first two balls, and after a wide followed, the equation was 12 from 4 balls.
It was 12 from two after two dot balls, though, and from there DD got home.
After choosing to bat first, the Delhi Daredevils would have had a score near 180 in mind, considering how well the pitch has played on this ground – this wicket, though, was a little slower – but they couldn't quite get there, with momentum lost by the loss of two early wickets, and then with dismissals in key points, just when DD looked like they might kick on.
Sanju Samson was the first to go, run out after going for a run that was never there, with "Superman" Stokes throwing the stumps down.
Shreyas Iyer, the hero of the last game for DD, then nicked one off Jaydev Unadkat in the third over. At 11/2 after three overs, the Delhi Daredevils were in a bit of trouble, but Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant counter-attacked quite brilliantly.
The next three Powerplay overs yielded 43 runs, giving DD the momentum they needed in the innings.
However, despite Karun (64, 45b, 9x4) sticking around at one end the bulk of the innings – he was fluent, but was also starved off the strike at times, which prevented him from taking full control of the innings – DD kept losing wickets at the other, with Pant (36, 22b, 4x4, 2x6) falling to Adam Zampa in the ninth over, Marlon Samuels (27, 21b, 1x4, 2x6) going in the 14th, Corey Anderson (3, 5b) in the 16th and Pat Cummins (11, 6b, 1x4) in the 17th.
Those wickets – there was also a ridiculous catch from Stokes, one where he throws the ball back up just before stepping outside the ropes, that got those jaws dropping -- allowed RPS to keep the Daredevils innings in check with that 168 feeling about 20 runs short.
Thanks to the DD bowlers, though, it proved to be enough.
Watch DD vs RPS IPL 2017 match highlights
DD vs RPS scorecard:
Toss: DD, who chose to bat.
DD: 168/8 in 20 overs.
RPS: 161/7 in 20 overs.
Result: DD won by seven runs.
Bowling: RPS: Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-29-2; Shardul Thakur 3-0-35-0; Washington Sundar 3-0-23-1; Ben Stokes 4-0-31-2; Adam Zampa 4-0-29-1; Dan Christian 2-0-18-1.
DD: Zaheer Khan 4-0-25-2; Mohammed Shami 4-0-37-2; Shahbaz Nadeem 3-0-21-1; Amit Mishra 3-0-26-0; Pat Cummins 4-0-31-1; Marlon Samuels 1-0-12-0; Corey Anderson 1-0-4-0.
Fall of wickets: DD: 3/1, Sanju Samson (1 over); 9/2, Shreyas Iyer (2.1 overs); 83/3, Rishabh Pant (8.5 overs); 117/4, Marlon Samuels (14 overs); 124/5, Corey Anderson (15.2 overs); 140/6, Pat Cummins (16.5 overs); 162/7, Karun Nair (18.5 overs); 166/8, Mohammed Shami (19.5 overs).
RPS: 0/1, Ajinkya Rahane (0.1 overs); 36/2, Rahul Tripathi (4.1 overs); 74/3, Steve Smith (9.1 overs); 125/4, Ben Stokes (15.4 overs); 134/5, MS Dhoni (17.3 overs); 138/6, Dan Christian (18.2 overs); 161/7, Manoj Tiwary (20 overs).
