RISING PUNE SUPERGIANT

STRENGTHS Solid middle order

Rising Pune Supergiant have strong batsmen in the middle order. Skipper Steve Smith, MS Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary, at different points this season, have made significant contributions to see Pune through in difficult situations. Against Mumbai Indians, the onus will be on the three to set the path for the rest of the team.

Experienced heads

From injuries to player departures, Pune have had to grapple with many issues off the field but they haven’t let that affect their on-field performance. The reason for that has been the presence of experienced heads in their playing XI. While Smith has done well at the helm, he has received good support from former skipper MS Dhoni. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary have played a crucial role in guiding the youngsters.

Indian young guns firing

From Rahul Tripathi’s rollicking knocks to Jaydev Unadkat’s incisive spells, the performance of Indian youngsters is one of the main reasons for their strong showing. Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar have also chipped in. All four weren’t in the starting XI when Pune started their campaign but were given opportunities in later matches and have never looked back.

WEAKNESSES Rahane’s form

For a player of his calibre, Ajinkya Rahane has one half century to his name this season. While he has got starts, he hasn’t been able to convert them into big ones. Coach Stephen Fleming said during one of the interactions that Rahane is ‘too eager’ to get on with things. Against Mumbai, Pune will hope that Rahane, along with opening partner Rahul Tripathi, creates a platform for others.

Lack of quality allrounder

The departure of Ben Stokes has weakened them in the all-rounder’s department. While Dan Christian has done well in both departments with the opportunities he has got, the Australian isn’t in the same league as the Englishman. With Pune not having any like-for-like replacement for Stokes, the pressure will be on Christian to deliver.

Understrength bowling unit

The departures of Stokes and Imran Tahir, two of their top-three wicket-takers, has put them on the backfoot. Along with Jaydev Unadkat, who is second on the list of top wicket-takers with 21 scalps, Tahir and Stokes played crucial roles in Pune’s charge towards the playoffs. While young guns Thakur and Sundar have done well, it remains to be seen how they tackle the pressure of such a big game.