The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been one of the most watched sporting events in the world, and for a reason. It is an extremely competitive league, and we have witnessed the same in IPL 2017 as well, where the fourth team of the Playoffs will only be determined on the final day of the group stages. The winner of the Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab clash on Sunday will head over to the Playoffs.
RPS have had a good season so far, but they need to finish well. A win over KXIP will help them finish in the top two, which is always an added incentive as they can get two cracks to seal a berth in final. RPS will be aware of it.
Steve Smith-led side will be eager to beat KXIP and head into the Playoffs as a confident unit. Kings XI Punjab will play in the eliminator if they manage to beat Rising Pune Supergiant.
However, they should not think about the Playoffs, and just concentrate on this all-important match, which will decide their fate. After the match, they can make plans for the crucial stage. One has to remember, KXIP have never won IPL and RPS were below par last season, which will drive them even further.
RPS will need all their big guns to fire, including Ben Stokes, MS Dhoni and Steve Smith. If these three players have a good day, KXIP could be in all sorts of problems. But then, these players have not fired in one single game as a collective unit. They are all big-game players and it cannot get any bigger than this in the league stage.
RPS does not have an experienced bowling line-up, which could be tested against the likes of KXIP's attacking players – Glenn Maxwell and Martin Guptill. Besides the duo, they have Shaun Marsh and Wriddhiman Saha, who can play as per the situation.
Both teams look solid on their batting front, hence, the bowlers will hold the key. It is at this juncture, KXIP might have a slight advantage, where their bowlers like Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma have been wonderful with the ball to help them dig out of difficult situations.
KXIP come into this victory with impressive wins against quality teams Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians. Now, they have another tough encounter against Rising Pune Supergiant. If they beat RPS, KXIP will have momentum on their side in the Playoffs, and be one of the favourites for the IPL 2017 title.
Where to watch live
RPS vs KXIP is scheduled for an 4pm IST (11.30am BST) start. Live Streaming and TV Information is below.
India: TV: Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD (Tamil, Telugu, Bengali), Sony Max (Hindi), Sony Six, Sony Six HD (English). Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 5/HD. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
