By Rustam Roy 
 
Mumbai Indian fans should be weary of one man in today&#39;s final - MS Dhoni, after all he is etched in their memory as the man who hit &nbsp;that &#39;super six&#39; in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede against Sri Lanka. Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene who was at the receiving end on that day will also be a tad uncomfortable when the Ranchi star comes out to bat.

MS has always relished a final encounter be it the ICC T20, 50-over World Cup, Champions trophy but importantly in the context of the IPL - the former Indian captain has featured in most IPL finals - seven including this year&#39;s clash with Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma&#39;s men should be very afraid.

Dhoni has been quietly racking up the runs in this edition, focussing on returns-280 runs in 15 matches @ an average of 114. One of the great finishers of the game, he has hit more sixes than boundaries in this season -14 boundaries and 16 sixes, in fact he has hit more sixes compared to boundaries for the first time in this season- maybe the best of Dhoni is yet to come.

Rising Pune Supergiants have a huge psychological edge over Rohit Sharma&#39;s men having beaten them in the first qualifier easily by 20 runs and outclassed them at home &amp; away in this season. Dhoni left a few scars on the Mumbai bowlers in the first qualifier after he hit a quickfire 40 off 26 balls with five sixes in a crucial 73-run stand with Manoj Tiwary which tilted the game in Pune&#39;s favour on Tuesday.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and coach would have to sit down with Malinga, McClenaghan and Bumrah to devise a plan to stop the Dhoni onslaught, maybe introducing Harbhajan would be a good ploy. The trick is to get Dhoni early and not allow him to settle down because once he is able play himself in, the death overs become a nightmare for the opposition as Bumrah and McClenaghan found out to their &nbsp;horror at the Wankhede.

Pune Supergiants have all to play for in their debut appearance in the final as they will be dismantaled after the final match and just like Chennai Superkings who no longer exist but have left an indelible mark, Pune spearheaded by Dhoni power under Australian Steve Smith can outclass the star studded Mumbai Indians. 
 
(WION)

Rising Pune Supergiants have a huge psychological edge over Rohit Sharma's men having beaten them in the first qualifier

By Rustam Roy Mumbai Indian fans should be weary of one man in today's final - MS Dhoni, after all he is etched in their memory as the man who hit that 'super six' in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede against Sri Lanka. Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene who was at the receiving end on that day will also be a tad uncomfortable when the Ranchi star comes out to bat. MS has always relished a final encounter be it the ICC T20, 50-over World Cup, Champions trophy but importantly in the context of the IPL - the former Indian captain has featured in most IPL finals - seven including this year's clash with Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma's men should be very afraid. Dhoni has been quietly racking up the runs in this edition, focussing on returns-280 runs in 15 matches @ an average of 114. One of the great finishers of the game, he has hit more sixes than boundaries in this season -14 boundaries and 16 sixes, in fact he has hit more sixes compared to boundaries for the first time in this season- maybe the best of Dhoni is yet to come. Rising Pune Supergiants have a huge psychological edge over Rohit Sharma's men having beaten them in the first qualifier easily by 20 runs and outclassed them at home & away in this season. Dhoni left a few scars on the Mumbai bowlers in the first qualifier after he hit a quickfire 40 off 26 balls with five sixes in a crucial 73-run stand with Manoj Tiwary which tilted the game in Pune's favour on Tuesday. Skipper Rohit Sharma and coach would have to sit down with Malinga, McClenaghan and Bumrah to devise a plan to stop the Dhoni onslaught, maybe introducing Harbhajan would be a good ploy. The trick is to get Dhoni early and not allow him to settle down because once he is able play himself in, the death overs become a nightmare for the opposition as Bumrah and McClenaghan found out to their horror at the Wankhede. Pune Supergiants have all to play for in their debut appearance in the final as they will be dismantaled after the final match and just like Chennai Superkings who no longer exist but have left an indelible mark, Pune spearheaded by Dhoni power under Australian Steve Smith can outclass the star studded Mumbai Indians. (WION)

IPL final preview: 'MS' - 'Mumbai slayer' can become King

Mumbai Indians were crowned the new IPL champions following their thrilling one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant in the summit clash here tonight.

Rohit Sharma opted to bat after winning the toss but Mumbai batsmen failed to deliver while the Supergiant bowlers came out firing on all cylinders.

Krunal Pandya top-scored with a crucial 47-run knock while skipper Rohit contributed 24 runs to help Mumbai post 128 for eight. Jaydev Unadkat (2/19) and Adam Zampa (2/32) shared four wickets between them for Pune Supergiant.

Mumbai Indians surprisingly managed to defend the low total to capture their third IPL trophy with Pune Supergiant falling agonisingly short by one run.

Supergiant could manage 128 for six in 20 overs with Mitchell Johnson taking two wickets in the final over, in which Supergiant needed 11 runs.

Skipper Steve Smith scored 51 runs while Ajinkya Rahane came up with a 44-run knock in Pune chase.

Brief Scores:

Mumbai Indians: 129 for 8 in 20 overs. (Krunal Pandya 47, Rohit Shrama 24; J Unadkat 2/19) 
Rising Pune Supergiant: 128 for 6 in 20 overs.

(PTI)

Rohit Sharma opted to bat after winning the toss but Mumbai batsmen failed to deliver while the Supergiant bowlers came out firing on all cylinders

Mumbai Indians were crowned the new IPL champions following their thrilling one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant in the summit clash here tonight. Rohit Sharma opted to bat after winning the toss but Mumbai batsmen failed to deliver while the Supergiant bowlers came out firing on all cylinders. Krunal Pandya top-scored with a crucial 47-run knock while skipper Rohit contributed 24 runs to help Mumbai post 128 for eight. Jaydev Unadkat (2/19) and Adam Zampa (2/32) shared four wickets between them for Pune Supergiant. Mumbai Indians surprisingly managed to defend the low total to capture their third IPL trophy with Pune Supergiant falling agonisingly short by one run. Supergiant could manage 128 for six in 20 overs with Mitchell Johnson taking two wickets in the final over, in which Supergiant needed 11 runs. Skipper Steve Smith scored 51 runs while Ajinkya Rahane came up with a 44-run knock in Pune chase. Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians: 129 for 8 in 20 overs. (Krunal Pandya 47, Rohit Shrama 24; J Unadkat 2/19) Rising Pune Supergiant: 128 for 6 in 20 overs. (PTI)

IPL final: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run

Ben Stokes hammered an unbeaten 103 under pressure to lead Rising Pune Supergiant to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Lions that consolidated their fourth position in the&nbsp;IPL, here tonight. 
 
Chasing a modest 162 to win, the hosts were reeling at 42 for four when the England batsman came out firing on all cylinders to ensure that the good job done by the bowlers does not go waste. 
 
Stokes braved cramps towards the end of the chase and batted with determination to help RPS take two points and enhance their Play-offs chances. 
 
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir had rocked the Lions&#39; batting order with a three-wicket burst to help his side bundle out the rivals for a modest 161 in 19.5 overs. 
 
The Lions were off to a flying start with Brendon McCullum (45) and Ishan Kishan (31) adding 55 quick runs for the first wicket but lost wickets in a heap to lose way. 
 
Tahir not only broke the opening stand but also got rid of Aaron Finch (13) and Dwyane Smith (0) in successive balls. The South African spinner conceded 27 runs in his four overs. 
 
Lions could not exploit a good batting wicket and if it was not for Dinesh Karthik&#39;s sensible 29-run knock, they would not have put on board a respectable total. 
 
Paceman Jaydev Unadkat (3/29) also took three wickets to wipe off the tail. 
 
Left-arm paceman Pradeep Sangwan provided the Lions a perfect start by scalping dismissing both Ajinkya Rahane (4) and Steve Smith (4) in the very first over. 
 
Soon it came 42 for four when Manoj Tiwary (0) was trapped by Basil Tahmpi and Rahul Tripathi (6) was run out. 
 
From here, Stokes joined forces with MS Dhoni and the duo added 76 runs for the fifth-wicket to frustrate the Lions. 
 
Stokes&#39; onslaught began when he smashed Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes to collect 15 runs from the 10th over and never looked back. Dhoni played the second-fiddle as the former India captain was happy rotating the strike and finding a boundary here and there. 
 
RPS needed 60 off the final five overs. Stokes creamed off 16 runs from Dwayne Smith&#39;s 16th over but Dhoni hit one straight to McCullum in the next over by Thampi. 
 
Stokes, though, stayed till the end to take the side to finish line. His 103 came off 63 balls with seven fours and six sixes. 
 
RPS now have 12 points from 10 matches to be in fourth spot while Lions are sixth with six points. 
 
Earlier, Kishan took some time to get his eye in but made up for the dot balls by hitting a few big shots quite&nbsp;comfortably.

On&nbsp;the other end, McCulllum was on fire from the beginning, treating both spinners and pacers with disdain.&nbsp;Kishan lofted Jaydev Unadkat and Washington Sundar for sixes in the square leg region. Ben Stokes was introduced early into the attack but McCullum had no problems in finding boundaries. 
 
Lions raced to fifty in the sixth over but leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who bowled the last over in PowerPlay, brought relief for the hosts by scalping Kishan. 
 
The South African also succeeded in creating pressure on Lions batsmen by bowling dot balls and soon rival captain Suresh Raina was run out. 
 
Finch decided to take on Tahir and hammered him for a six over mid-wicket but the bowler had the last laugh as he caught and bowled the Australian. Tahir clean bowled Dwayne Smith with a googly in the next ball to stun the rival camp. 
 
Lions had 94 runs on the board at half-way mark but had lost four key batsmen. McCullum was being troubled by Ben Stokes and was hit on the shoulder. The Kiwi was though dismissed by Shardul Thakur after miscuing one off paceman. 
After that, James Faulkner (6) and Jadeja (19) too departed soon to leave Lions struggling.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Stokes hammered an unbeaten 103 under pressure to lead Rising Pune Supergiant to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Lions

Ben Stokes hammered an unbeaten 103 under pressure to lead Rising Pune Supergiant to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Lions that consolidated their fourth position in the IPL, here tonight. Chasing a modest 162 to win, the hosts were reeling at 42 for four when the England batsman came out firing on all cylinders to ensure that the good job done by the bowlers does not go waste. Stokes braved cramps towards the end of the chase and batted with determination to help RPS take two points and enhance their Play-offs chances. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir had rocked the Lions' batting order with a three-wicket burst to help his side bundle out the rivals for a modest 161 in 19.5 overs. The Lions were off to a flying start with Brendon McCullum (45) and Ishan Kishan (31) adding 55 quick runs for the first wicket but lost wickets in a heap to lose way. Tahir not only broke the opening stand but also got rid of Aaron Finch (13) and Dwyane Smith (0) in successive balls. The South African spinner conceded 27 runs in his four overs. Lions could not exploit a good batting wicket and if it was not for Dinesh Karthik's sensible 29-run knock, they would not have put on board a respectable total. Paceman Jaydev Unadkat (3/29) also took three wickets to wipe off the tail. Left-arm paceman Pradeep Sangwan provided the Lions a perfect start by scalping dismissing both Ajinkya Rahane (4) and Steve Smith (4) in the very first over. Soon it came 42 for four when Manoj Tiwary (0) was trapped by Basil Tahmpi and Rahul Tripathi (6) was run out. From here, Stokes joined forces with MS Dhoni and the duo added 76 runs for the fifth-wicket to frustrate the Lions. Stokes' onslaught began when he smashed Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes to collect 15 runs from the 10th over and never looked back. Dhoni played the second-fiddle as the former India captain was happy rotating the strike and finding a boundary here and there. RPS needed 60 off the final five overs. Stokes creamed off 16 runs from Dwayne Smith's 16th over but Dhoni hit one straight to McCullum in the next over by Thampi. Stokes, though, stayed till the end to take the side to finish line. His 103 came off 63 balls with seven fours and six sixes. RPS now have 12 points from 10 matches to be in fourth spot while Lions are sixth with six points. Earlier, Kishan took some time to get his eye in but made up for the dot balls by hitting a few big shots quite comfortably. On the other end, McCulllum was on fire from the beginning, treating both spinners and pacers with disdain. Kishan lofted Jaydev Unadkat and Washington Sundar for sixes in the square leg region. Ben Stokes was introduced early into the attack but McCullum had no problems in finding boundaries. Lions raced to fifty in the sixth over but leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who bowled the last over in PowerPlay, brought relief for the hosts by scalping Kishan. The South African also succeeded in creating pressure on Lions batsmen by bowling dot balls and soon rival captain Suresh Raina was run out. Finch decided to take on Tahir and hammered him for a six over mid-wicket but the bowler had the last laugh as he caught and bowled the Australian. Tahir clean bowled Dwayne Smith with a googly in the next ball to stun the rival camp. Lions had 94 runs on the board at half-way mark but had lost four key batsmen. McCullum was being troubled by Ben Stokes and was hit on the shoulder. The Kiwi was though dismissed by Shardul Thakur after miscuing one off paceman. After that, James Faulkner (6) and Jadeja (19) too departed soon to leave Lions struggling. (PTI)

IPL: Ben Stokes spurs Pune Supergiants to five-wicket win over Gujarat Lions

Robin Uthappa made a mockery of Rising Pune Supergiant&#39;s bowling attack to anchor Kolkata Knight Riders closer towards a play-off berth with a convincing seven-wicket win in an IPL match, here tonight. 
 
The India discard right-hander struck a match-winning 87 off just 47 balls balls and was ably supported by skipper Gautam Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries, as two-time champions KRR regained their spot in top of the standings with six wins from eight games. 
 
While Uthappa decorated his knock with seven boundaries and six hits over the fence, Gambhir innings was laced with six fours and one six. 
 
The duo stitched 158 runs off just 85 balls for the second wicket to help KKR chase down the 183-run target with 11 balls to spare. 
 
Earlier, Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to lift Pune to a challenging 182 for five. 
 
Smith&#39;s half-century came off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. 
 
Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46 off 41 balls), Rahul Tripathi (38 off 23), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 off 11) and Daniel Christian (16 off 6) also made useful contributions for the home team. 
 
Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for KKR with figures of two for 31. 
 
Chasing the target, Sunil Narine (15 off 9 balls) once again got KKR off to a brisk start before he was run out in the third over. 
 
Then Uthappa and Gambhir joined hands and took control off the chase with a bit of luck on their favour. 
 
Uthappa was lucky to have survived a close LBW call when he was yet to open his account and later when Jaydev Unadkat made a mess of a chance at deep midwicket off Imran Tahir&#39;s bowling with the batsman on 12. 
 
The stylish right-hander grabbed the opportunities with both hands and thereafter opened his arms to struck boundaries and sixes at will. 
 
Uthpappa did not spare a single Pune bowler with young Washington Sundar and Unadkat facing the maximum wrath. 
 
Uthappa brought up his half-century in just 26 balls in the 11th over. 
 
Gambhir, on the other hand, was content to play one and twos with occasional boundaries in between. 
 
Gambhir too got a life at the personal score of 32, dropped by Sundar off Daniel Christian&#39;s bowling. 
 
The duo, however, could not finish off the chase as both departed while trying to get over the line as quickly as possible but not before doing the job for their side. 
 
Earlier sent into bat, Pune made a brisk start, courtesy opener Tripathi&#39;s aggressive strokeplay. 
 
Tripathi was at his aggressive best while his experienced partner Rahane played the second fiddle. 
 
Tripahi went about his shots and luck favoured him as he got two reprieves -- first an outside in the fifth delivery of the innings which went just over wicketkeeper Uthappa&#39;s reach and then Yusuf Pathan spilled a chance at long-on in the seventh over while running backwards. 
 
During his stay at the crease Triptahi dealt mainly in boundaries and struck Narine (1/34) for three boundaries to pick up 15 runs in the sixth over. 
 
However, Triptahi&#39;s luck ran out shortly as he under- edged a Piyush Chawla (1/36) googly on to his stumps soon. 
 
Tripathi&#39;s dismissal hardly had any effect on Pune Supergiant&#39;s scoring rate as Rahane and skipper Smith struck a boundary each in every over thereafter. 
 
But Rahane fell four runs short of his second IPL 10 fifty when he was stumped by Uthappa off Narine&#39;s bowling. 
 
Rahane&#39;s wicket brought in Dhoni who made his intentions clear from the onset. 
 
Dhoni struck Chawla to the midwicket boundary in the third ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a huge hit over long-off boundary off the next ball. 
 
Dhoni continued his onslaught and clobbered Kuldeep Yadav for another six in the next over. 
 
But a brilliant 18th over from Kuldeep Yadav and some fine glove work by Uthappa derailed Pune Supergiant&#39;s surge. 
 
Kuldeep Yadav foxed Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary with two beautiful googlies and Uthappa was quick to whip off the bails to dismiss the batsmen. 
 
Just when it seemed KKR had managed to pull things back, Smith and Christian stepped on the accelerator and accumulated 30 runs off the last two overs, that included consecutive sixes by the latter off Chris Woakes, to take Pune beyond the 180-run mark.

(PTI)

Robin Uthappa struck a match-winning 87 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to the top of the league table

Robin Uthappa made a mockery of Rising Pune Supergiant's bowling attack to anchor Kolkata Knight Riders closer towards a play-off berth with a convincing seven-wicket win in an IPL match, here tonight. The India discard right-hander struck a match-winning 87 off just 47 balls balls and was ably supported by skipper Gautam Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries, as two-time champions KRR regained their spot in top of the standings with six wins from eight games. While Uthappa decorated his knock with seven boundaries and six hits over the fence, Gambhir innings was laced with six fours and one six. The duo stitched 158 runs off just 85 balls for the second wicket to help KKR chase down the 183-run target with 11 balls to spare. Earlier, Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to lift Pune to a challenging 182 for five. Smith's half-century came off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46 off 41 balls), Rahul Tripathi (38 off 23), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 off 11) and Daniel Christian (16 off 6) also made useful contributions for the home team. Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for KKR with figures of two for 31. Chasing the target, Sunil Narine (15 off 9 balls) once again got KKR off to a brisk start before he was run out in the third over. Then Uthappa and Gambhir joined hands and took control off the chase with a bit of luck on their favour. Uthappa was lucky to have survived a close LBW call when he was yet to open his account and later when Jaydev Unadkat made a mess of a chance at deep midwicket off Imran Tahir's bowling with the batsman on 12. The stylish right-hander grabbed the opportunities with both hands and thereafter opened his arms to struck boundaries and sixes at will. Uthpappa did not spare a single Pune bowler with young Washington Sundar and Unadkat facing the maximum wrath. Uthappa brought up his half-century in just 26 balls in the 11th over. Gambhir, on the other hand, was content to play one and twos with occasional boundaries in between. Gambhir too got a life at the personal score of 32, dropped by Sundar off Daniel Christian's bowling. The duo, however, could not finish off the chase as both departed while trying to get over the line as quickly as possible but not before doing the job for their side. Earlier sent into bat, Pune made a brisk start, courtesy opener Tripathi's aggressive strokeplay. Tripathi was at his aggressive best while his experienced partner Rahane played the second fiddle. Tripahi went about his shots and luck favoured him as he got two reprieves -- first an outside in the fifth delivery of the innings which went just over wicketkeeper Uthappa's reach and then Yusuf Pathan spilled a chance at long-on in the seventh over while running backwards. During his stay at the crease Triptahi dealt mainly in boundaries and struck Narine (1/34) for three boundaries to pick up 15 runs in the sixth over. However, Triptahi's luck ran out shortly as he under- edged a Piyush Chawla (1/36) googly on to his stumps soon. Tripathi's dismissal hardly had any effect on Pune Supergiant's scoring rate as Rahane and skipper Smith struck a boundary each in every over thereafter. But Rahane fell four runs short of his second IPL 10 fifty when he was stumped by Uthappa off Narine's bowling. Rahane's wicket brought in Dhoni who made his intentions clear from the onset. Dhoni struck Chawla to the midwicket boundary in the third ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a huge hit over long-off boundary off the next ball. Dhoni continued his onslaught and clobbered Kuldeep Yadav for another six in the next over. But a brilliant 18th over from Kuldeep Yadav and some fine glove work by Uthappa derailed Pune Supergiant's surge. Kuldeep Yadav foxed Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary with two beautiful googlies and Uthappa was quick to whip off the bails to dismiss the batsmen. Just when it seemed KKR had managed to pull things back, Smith and Christian stepped on the accelerator and accumulated 30 runs off the last two overs, that included consecutive sixes by the latter off Chris Woakes, to take Pune beyond the 180-run mark. (PTI)

IPL: Kolkata's Uthappa blitz pummels Pune bowlers into submission

Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 61 to finally come good and reassert his top-class finisher tag as he guided Rising Pune Supergiant to a six-wicket victory over defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in a thrilling IPL match Saturday.

After a series of flop shows, Dhoni&#39;s reputation as a top-notch finisher was at stake, but on Saturday&nbsp;the former India captain was in his elements, smashing a flurry of fours and sixes as Pune overhauled the target of 177 in the final ball of the run chase.

Dhoni needed two runs from the final delivery but he hit Siddarth Kaul for a boundary as Pune reached 179 for 4 to the wild celebrations of the home supporters at the MCA Stadium.

Dhoni faced 34 deliveries for his unbeaten 61 that included five fours and three sixes.

This was the third win for Pune from six matches and they now have six points. Hyderabad, on the other hand, have eight points from seven matches, after four wins and three losses.

Opener Rahul Tripathi had kept Pune in the hunt with a 41-ball 59 before he was out in the 14th over. Captain Steve Smith contributed with a 21-ball 27 but he got out early in the 11th over.

When Dhoni came out at number four at the fall of Smith&#39;s wicket in the final delivery of the 11th over at 87 for 2, Pune needed 10 runs an over to win the match.

However, the situation worsened after Tripathi was out. Ben Stokes (10), this IPL season&#39;s costliest buy, once again failed to contribute, falling in the 17th over and by that time the asking rate had shot up to above 14 an over.

Dhoni, who seemed to be struggling as he could not connect his bat with the ball for some time, then swung into action as he hit two fours and a six to take 17 runs from the 18th over bowled by Mohammed Siraj.

Dhoni was on song then and he did not spare death overs specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar, stealing 19 runs from the penultimate over with the help of two fours and a six. That changed the complexion of the match and Pune needed 11 runs from the final over.

Manoj Tiwary (17 not out) was dropped in the first ball of the final over and got a four courtesy Rashid Khan.

But Tiwary and Dhoni could score only in singles in the next three deliveries before a couple of runs in the penultimate ball. Pune needed two from the last ball and Dhoni hit a four to seal the issue.

For Hyderabad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Bipul Sharma and Rashid Khan got wicket apiece.

Earlier, Pune produced a disciplined bowling effort before a smashing half-century by Moises Henriques enabled Hyderabad to reach a competitive 176 for three.

Put into bat, Hyderabad were struggling at 122 for three in the 16th over before Henriques (55 not out) increased the tempo to steal 54 runs in the last four overs, in the able company of Deepak Hooda (19 not out 
off 10 balls).

Off to a decent start after being put in to bat, skipper David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan put on a 55-run stand for the opening wicket before Hyderabad bowlers led by Daniel Christian (1/20) and Imran Tahir (1/23) dominated the middle overs to put brakes on the scoring.

Tahir was the one, who gave Hyderabad their first breakthrough by seeing off Dhawan for a 29-ball 30.

Kane Williamson tried to accelerate the run-rate during his 21 off 14 balls that included a six and a four, he was trapped leg-before wicket by Christian.

Even though Warner held on to his wicket and played a responsible knock, he failed to up the ante.

Eventually he was bowled out by Jaydev Unadkat for 43 off 40 deliveries, studded with three boundaries and a six.

After Warner&#39;s departure, Henriques launched a furious assault, hitting two sixes and six boundaries to guide the team to a 175-plus total. He remained unbeaten on 55 off just 28 deliveries.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 61 as he guided Rising Pune Supergiant to victory over defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad

Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 61 to finally come good and reassert his top-class finisher tag as he guided Rising Pune Supergiant to a six-wicket victory over defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in a thrilling IPL match Saturday. After a series of flop shows, Dhoni's reputation as a top-notch finisher was at stake, but on Saturday the former India captain was in his elements, smashing a flurry of fours and sixes as Pune overhauled the target of 177 in the final ball of the run chase. Dhoni needed two runs from the final delivery but he hit Siddarth Kaul for a boundary as Pune reached 179 for 4 to the wild celebrations of the home supporters at the MCA Stadium. Dhoni faced 34 deliveries for his unbeaten 61 that included five fours and three sixes. This was the third win for Pune from six matches and they now have six points. Hyderabad, on the other hand, have eight points from seven matches, after four wins and three losses. Opener Rahul Tripathi had kept Pune in the hunt with a 41-ball 59 before he was out in the 14th over. Captain Steve Smith contributed with a 21-ball 27 but he got out early in the 11th over. When Dhoni came out at number four at the fall of Smith's wicket in the final delivery of the 11th over at 87 for 2, Pune needed 10 runs an over to win the match. However, the situation worsened after Tripathi was out. Ben Stokes (10), this IPL season's costliest buy, once again failed to contribute, falling in the 17th over and by that time the asking rate had shot up to above 14 an over. Dhoni, who seemed to be struggling as he could not connect his bat with the ball for some time, then swung into action as he hit two fours and a six to take 17 runs from the 18th over bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Dhoni was on song then and he did not spare death overs specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar, stealing 19 runs from the penultimate over with the help of two fours and a six. That changed the complexion of the match and Pune needed 11 runs from the final over. Manoj Tiwary (17 not out) was dropped in the first ball of the final over and got a four courtesy Rashid Khan. But Tiwary and Dhoni could score only in singles in the next three deliveries before a couple of runs in the penultimate ball. Pune needed two from the last ball and Dhoni hit a four to seal the issue. For Hyderabad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Bipul Sharma and Rashid Khan got wicket apiece. Earlier, Pune produced a disciplined bowling effort before a smashing half-century by Moises Henriques enabled Hyderabad to reach a competitive 176 for three. Put into bat, Hyderabad were struggling at 122 for three in the 16th over before Henriques (55 not out) increased the tempo to steal 54 runs in the last four overs, in the able company of Deepak Hooda (19 not out off 10 balls). Off to a decent start after being put in to bat, skipper David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan put on a 55-run stand for the opening wicket before Hyderabad bowlers led by Daniel Christian (1/20) and Imran Tahir (1/23) dominated the middle overs to put brakes on the scoring. Tahir was the one, who gave Hyderabad their first breakthrough by seeing off Dhawan for a 29-ball 30. Kane Williamson tried to accelerate the run-rate during his 21 off 14 balls that included a six and a four, he was trapped leg-before wicket by Christian. Even though Warner held on to his wicket and played a responsible knock, he failed to up the ante. Eventually he was bowled out by Jaydev Unadkat for 43 off 40 deliveries, studded with three boundaries and a six. After Warner's departure, Henriques launched a furious assault, hitting two sixes and six boundaries to guide the team to a 175-plus total. He remained unbeaten on 55 off just 28 deliveries. (PTI)

Dhoni seals 6-wicket victory for Pune Supergiant against Sunrisers Hyderabad