RISING PUNE SUPERGIANTS BANKING ON DHONI’S MIDAS TOUCH

Rising Pune Supergiants banking on Dhoni’s Midas touch

On a roll after three consecutive wins, a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad will start as overwhelming favourites against struggling Rising Pune Supergiants in an Indian Premier League match, here today.

After losing two games in a row, Sunrisers have won against Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab.

On the contrary, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Supergiants are languishing at the seventh spot with just two points from five encounters.

Despite injuries to its key players, including Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Kane Williamson, the Hyderabad side has been on a high with the team clicking collectively. SRH captain and swashbuckling Australian batsman David Warner has been in great form and has scored 294 runs from five games which includes four half centuries.

Warner is just behind Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli who is leading the chart with 367 runs from five games.

But for SRH the big relief would be the return to form opener Shikhar Dhawan after a poor show in the first three matches. Dhawan regained his touch with unbeaten 53 against Gujarat Lions and 45 against KXIP.

Despite the absence of the seasoned Nehra, SRH bowlers have made an impact. In Nehra's absence, Bhuvneshwar has been leading SRH's bowling department and is currently the second- highest wicket taker with eight scalps.

But it is young Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman who has been the most impressive. He has been using his variations to perfection to earn the accolades from his skipper.

Mustafizur, in fact, is fourth on the wicket takers list with seven scalps but it is his misery economy rate of 5.75 per over that what has impressed all and sundry.

New outfit Supergiants, on the other hand, have been struggling to find the right team combination, a fact which head coach Stephen Fleming duly accepted.

After the win over Mumbai Indians in the opener, the Supergiants have suffered four consecutive defeats. And come Tuesday, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be eager to break the sequence of reverses and get the Supergiants' campaign back on track.

Having moved to Pune this year, Dhoni will be keen to replicate what he did for CSK in his new jersey with a bit of help from teammates. So far, it hasn't been a smooth campaign for India's twin World Cup winning captain, barring the tournament opener against defending champions against Mumbai Indians.

For a team comprising Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Thissara Perera besides Dhoni, such results are surprising.

Among the team's overseas players Du Plessis has been among runs while Smith is to yet fire in the tournament.

While Rahane's well made 67 went in vain in the last match, Dhoni is contributing down the order for the new side. But what has hurt Supergiants the most has been the team's indifferent bowling efforts.

Pacer Ishant Sharma is not regarded a potent T20 bowler and has been on and off the playing eleven while the likes of Thissara Perera and Albie Morkel needs to shoulder more responsibility in the pace unit.

Medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia has been impressed but the Supergiants have been hit hard by the inconsistent performances of spin trio of R. Ashwin, M. Ashwin and Ankit Sharma.