RUNUP TO QUALIFIERS

With IPL10 reaching its business end, HT looks at some turning points in road to the playoffs of the two teams

RPS Key matches:

The 13-day period where Rising Pune Supergiant played six matches and won five, four of them at home, was crucial for the Steve Smith-led team. RPS will also be enthused by their campaign so far, where they managed to defended even modest totals like 148 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and also chased down scores like 184 against Mumbai Indians.

Big performances

Ben Stokes justified his price tag with a scintillating unbeaten 103 to chase down the 162-run target set by Gujarat Lions during their clash at the MCA Stadium in Pune. At 10 for three, Rising Pune Supergiant were staring at their heaviest defeat of the season when Stokes took charge. The English all-rounder built crucial partnerships with MS Dhoni and Dan Christian. He also overcame cramps to see his team through and also score his maiden IPL ton.

MI Key matches:

Mumbai Indians gained confidence and momentum from the way they started the tournament. MI were not known to be good starters, but that changed this time with coach Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Rohit Sharma stressing on the importance of beginning well. It was important for MI to win as many matches as possible in the beginning when they had to play eight matches in 18 days. Barring two, they won all and have made no total look safe so far.

Big performances

There isn’t a dearth of performers in Mumbai Indians. Kieron Pollard (362 runs) leads the batting charts, while other MI batsmen are not far behind. The bowling department has Mitchell McClenaghan topping with 18 wickets in 13 games, followed by Jasprit Bumrah (15) and Krunal Pandya (10).