Dhoni heroics help Pune avoid bottom-of-the-table finish

In a display of powerful muscular hitting, MS Dhoni slammed 23 off the last six balls in his 32-ball 64 to help Pune chase down 173 against Punjab and avoid finishing at the bottom of the table.

Dhoni lifted his side after a poor top-order performance and showed glimpses of his ability as a supreme limited-overs finisher in a thrilling match in Visakhapatnam. With 29 required off the last two overs, Pune faced a setback with the wicket of Thisara Perera off the first ball of the 19th over. Mohit Sharma followed that up with a series of accurate yorkers to give away just six runs.

With 23 required off the last over, Dhoni took strike against left-arm spinner Axar Patel. He launched Axar over long-on off the second ball of the over, after which he slapped one towards deep cover, and just as it seemed that Dhoni's bottom-handed power will carry it to the boundary, Hashim Amla put in a superb diving effort to stop the ball. Dhoni did not run. Next ball Dhoni hit a similar stroke, but only this time to find the boundary and the equation boiled down to 12 off 2.

Axar bowled a half-tracker next up and Dhoni was quick to pounce on it and dispatch over deep midwicket. With six required off the last ball, Axar fired in a full delivery, Dhoni stayed back and brought out his trademark helicopter shot and whipped the ball over deep midwicket to seal Pune's thrilling win.

Earlier, Pune's spinners kept things largely under control, but swift half-centuries from M Vijay and Gurkeerat Singh lifted Punjab to 172. R Ashwin was the pick of Pune's bowlers, producing his best returns of the season - 4 for 34.

"It was a fantastic game. If we were alive, this is the kind of game you wanted to win to get into the knockouts," Dhoni said after receiving the Man-of-the-Match award.

Looking back at Pune's poor season, Dhoni said, "We started well and ended well. We were never completely outplayed, which gives us the confidence that we can do better next year. We have to lift our game slightly, which will have an impact on our team. Right from the start, bowling was one department where we were worried. When we have started well with the new ball, the spinners have done well. Otherwise they have struggled. Overall, there were glimpses of some very good talent. We don't have the luxury of having outstanding players on the bench, but this is still a very good team. How we change our game according to our demands is important, so adaptability is the key."