New Delhi: Steve Smith’s half century and a breezy knock by Rahul Tripathi enabled Rising Pune Sueprgiant to post 182 for 5 against Kolkata Knight in Pune.
Smith once again played the anchor role by remaining undefeated at 51 off 37.
Sent in to bat, Pune got one of their best starts of the season as both Rahane and Tripathi looked in good touch. Tripathi only enhanced his reputation as budding talent by clobbering a 23 ball 38 with seven fours. He hit a hat trick of fours off Sunil Narine in the last over of the powerplay.
Rahane at the other end was just finding his touch and playing as a good foil to Tripathi. The duo put together a solid 65 run opening stand before Tripathi was foxed by a Chawla wrong one for 38.
In came, Steve Smith, who certainly can do no wrong on Indian soil. The skipper used the crease to good affect against the spin duo of the Knight Riders. Rahane was finally stumped off Narine for 46.
Dhoni walked in at No. 4 in the absence of Stokes and immediately sprang into action. He struck Chawla to the midwicket boundary in the third ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a huge hit over long-off boundary off the next ball.
Dhoni continued his onslaught and clobbered Kuldeep Yadav for another six in the next over. He was threatening to take the game away when he ran past a Kuldeep Yadav wrong one. But not before he had set the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on fire with a brisk 23 off 11 with 2 big sixes and a four.
Kuldeep then gave KKR a double break by getting an in-form Manoj Tiwary in quite the similar fashion for just 1.
Just when KKR were clawing their way back into the game and was reigning in Pune, Daniel Christian played a cameo to give a welcome boost to their total.
He scored 16 off 6 balls.
For KKR, it was the spinners all the way. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav was the most impressive with figures of 2 for 31 in his 4 overs.