RESULT
17th match (N), Bengaluru, April 16, 2017, Indian Premier League

Supergiant won by 27 runs

Player Of The Match
3/18
ben-stokes
Cricinfo's MVP
65.22 ptsImpact List
ben-stokes
New
RCB
Full commentary
end of over 203 runs • 1 wicket
RCB: 134/9CRR: 6.70 
Yuzvendra Chahal1 (2b)
Sreenath Aravind6 (7b)
Ben Stokes 4-0-18-3
Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-25-2

That's all we have for you. Thanks for your company and your comments. Please keep them coming. And see you tomorrow, for another double-header

Ben Stokes is the Man of the Match for his 3 for 18, not to mention a spectacular fielding effort late in the innings. "I think we assessed the way the wicket turned when we were batting. So we went into the bowling innings with a better understanding and we executed our bowling plans really really well. We tried to stay away from full deliveries because those were the ones that were hit. Then we slowed it up and hit hard on a good length which was the hardest to hit. I thought we were struggling with our total, but we did excellently with the ball. First few games didn't go to play, we've got some quality bowlers, hoping to build on this. [Great crowd here?]I think wherever you go when Dhoni's in your team is a home ground"

"We were in a pretty good position at one point at 0 for 60. Then we lost our way in the middle, losing 5 for 3. But I thought Tiwary finished off well for us and I thought 160 was par on that wicket, it was slow and up and down," Steven Smith says, "Bowling changes worked out well tonight, it's nice when it works. Had a lot better energy and presence in the field today so it was nice to turn it around. We have some great characters and some really good players. Hopefully this is the start of a little run for us"

"It's very important to find the winning formula," Virat Kohli says, after his team's third loss in four matches. "If we play like this, we don't deserve to win. The last game, we fought hard. Today we let the game go away right in front of our eyes. We have a few things to address. We can't think we can sweep sides away at home. One of the best catches that I have taken ever. Just reflexes. All the training drills go into that. Milne bowled really well, assessed conditions really nicely, just his second or third opportunity in the IPL. Guys coming in have to learn form that, they can't play without intent, without fear. :Last year we had to win four out of four to qualify but that can't happen every time. As professional cricketers, you're playing for a franchise, you're playing in front of a lot of people, we can't keep doing this. Hopefully we can turn things around and the players can take the responsibility"

11.40 pm Pune have the record for the lowest total defended by a visiting team at M Chinnaswamy. It is also their first win batting first in 10 tries. Smith and his men only had 161 on the board. And getting there looked like it took an awful lot out of them. Smith and Dhoni struggled badly, but it seems they had read the pitch a lot better than everyone else, including me, had. Then Manoj Tiwary played a blinder, hitting 27 off only 11 balls to give the bowlers something to defend.

After that, the story was simply Pune and their slower balls. The dew that people expected to come did not. And that meant a pitch that had begun slowing down midway through the match kept slowing up. Some balls even kept low and hitting through the line just wasn't possible. Pune understood it, bowled tons of slower balls, Shardul Thakur even used the knuckle ball to take 3 for 35. Ben Stokes took 3 for 18 off his four overs - and his wickets included Virat Kohli and Shane Watson. It was thought that Pune's threat was only from Imran Tahir, but their quicks have won them this game.

Only 112 runs were scored in the middle overs (7th to 15th) in this match from both innings, the second-lowest in an IPL match at Chinnaswamy where both teams played all those 9 overs.

19.6
Stokes to Chahal, no run

full on middle, which is defended, which could only be defended.

Smith with a smile of disbelief on his face. Which hat have they pulled this rabbit out of?

19.5
1
Stokes to Aravind, 1 run

low full toss on leg stump, works it away past short fine leg. But Tahir still tracks it down. It wouldn't have mattered, but Tahir tracks it down

19.4
1
Stokes to Chahal, 1 run

full and outside off, drives to extra cover

Chahal is the last man in

Huzefa: "This IPL it looks like Chinnaswamy and Eden have swapped roles with former being the low and slow while the latter offering pace and bounce to score heavily."

19.3
W
Stokes to Milne, OUT

topples him. It's a good length ball on off stump, the kind you see in Test match. Milne swings, misses and has to walk back

Adam Milne b Stokes 2 (3b 0x4 0x6 9m) SR: 66.66
19.2
1b
Stokes to Aravind, 1 bye

another dot ball, and there is no pace on this either. Aravind charges, swings across the line, is beaten. Dhoni gets a bad bounce on the take and gives away a bye

19.1
Stokes to Aravind, no run

starts with a slower ball from around the wicket, and it sneaks under Aravind's slog

Ben Stokes for the last over. He has a whopping 30 runs to defend. Four sixes won't do this time

end of over 196 runs • 1 wicket
RCB: 131/8CRR: 6.89 RRR: 31.00
Sreenath Aravind5 (4b)
Adam Milne2 (2b)
Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-25-2
Shardul Thakur 4-0-35-3
18.6
1
Unadkat to Aravind, 1 run

comes down the track and smacks a length ball outside off to deep point

18.5
2
Unadkat to Aravind, 2 runs

lugs a slow, length ball from outside off to deep midwicket

18.4
2
Unadkat to Aravind, 2 runs

slower ball again, and Aravind heaves it over to deep square leg

This will be RPS' first win after batting first, in the 10th attempt.

18.3
Unadkat to Aravind, no run

full and wide outside off - no pace on the ball again - Aravind was expecting it, is beaten and left looking a bit silly

18.2
W
Unadkat to Badree, OUT

middle pole out of the ground again. It's the slower ball again. Pune have bowled a lot of them this innings and have had loads of success. Badree here slogs across the line and is nowhere near the line of the ball

Samuel Badree b Unadkat 0 (1b 0x4 0x6 1m) SR: 0
18.1
1
Unadkat to Milne, 1 run

slower short ball outside off, Milne, the new batsman, pulls towards short fine leg

RCB need 37 off 12 balls now

end of over 1810 runs • 2 wickets
RCB: 125/7CRR: 6.94 RRR: 18.50
Adam Milne1 (1b)
Shardul Thakur 4-0-35-3
Dan Christian 4-0-26-0
17.6
W
Thakur to Binny, OUT

gave him free access to all his stumps and Thakur nails them. Binny had moved right across, well outside off, looking for a scoop. But the bowler delivers it full, straight, doesn't let the batsman have the leverage he needs and then sends him on his way. This is a mess from RCB

Stuart Binny b Thakur 18 (8b 2x4 1x6 17m) SR: 225
17.5
1
Thakur to Milne, 1 run

shortish delivery outside off, looks to slog, but gets an inside edge. Could have raced away if Dhoni had not dived to his left

17.4
1
Thakur to Binny, 1 run

What an effort from Stokes! He is right on the boundary edge at long-on, he is leaning over it, he is still watching the ball come down, he takes it over his head, in the airspace beyond the boundary. But he is losing balance. He needs to push the ball back. He does so, between his legs, as he crumples up in a heap. Knuckle ball, seemed set for six but Stokes, possibly the best fielder at any place on the ground, pulls off something special

17.3
W
Thakur to Negi, OUT

this is a spectacular catch! Under pressure is when you least want to be under a skier. A swirler. Tripathi is the mat at deep midwicket, setting himself up, eyes always on the ball coming down on him. Takes it like a boss. Slower ball from Thakur makes Negi stretch out to slog, and that moment when he lost balance, stole his timing away

Pawan Negi c Tripathi b Thakur 10 (7b 0x4 1x6 9m) SR: 142.85
17.2
6
Thakur to Negi, SIX runs

no one back at long-off and he picks the spot. It's full, it's wide, it's smashed off the back foot. Still head, good hands

Tensions rising. Dhoni was unhappy with the throw the last ball, he wanted it at his end, waving his hands around animatedly

17.1
2
Thakur to Negi, 2 runs

mis-hit, can it be caught? Tahir is running back and to his right. But it falls beyond him. Top-edged pull again

end of over 1713 runs
RCB: 115/5CRR: 6.76 RRR: 15.66
Stuart Binny17 (6b 2x4 1x6)
Pawan Negi2 (4b)
Dan Christian 4-0-26-0
Ben Stokes 3-0-16-2

RCB need 47 off 18, with Unadkat, Stokes and Shardul to bowl one over each

16.6
4
Christian to Binny, FOUR runs

top edge over the wicketkeeper. That makes it 13 off the over. Digs it in short, Binny goes for the pull, is quite late on the shot, but still benefits

And the crowd aren't giving back the ball... Time for a new one

16.5
6
Christian to Binny, SIX runs

on a length, affording him the room to free the arms and Binny takes full toll. It's the legcutter, drags it down. The batsman smashes it over deep square leg.

Win Probability
RPS 100%
RPSRCB
100%50%100%RPS InningsRCB Innings

Over 20 • RCB 134/9

Adam Milne b Stokes 2 (3b 0x4 0x6 9m) SR: 66.66
W
Supergiant won by 27 runs
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Indian Premier League

TEAMMWLPTNRR
MI14104200.784
RPS1495180.176
SRH1485170.599
KKR1486160.641
KXIP147714-0.009
DC146812-0.512
GL144108-0.412
RCB143107-1.299