Hyderabad: Steve Smith’s Rising Pune Supergiant eye their maiden Indian Premier League crown as they meet tournament favourites Mumbai Indians in a mouth-watering title clash here today, starting 5.30pm Bahrain time.
Pune, who ended seventh in the eight-team Twenty20 tournament last year, had a mixed start this season only to pick up momentum towards the business end.
Pune’s record buy Ben Stokes proved to be the trump card as the England all-rounder’s showing with the bat and ball was instrumental in the side clinching a play-off berth.
But the team showed in the first qualifier against Mumbai that it is not a one-man army after young spinner Washington Sundar turned out to be the unlikely hero with his match-winning haul of three wickets.
Sundar’s performance made up for Stokes’ absence, after he left for national duty before the knockouts.
However Pune, whose two-year run along with Gujarat Lions ends this season, may be playing their last game in the cash-rich league after being denied an extension by the league’s governing council early this month.