Rising Pune Supergiant captain Steve Smith said the team will miss Ben Stokes in the IPL play-offs after they comfortably beat Kings XI Punjab in a do-or-die tie
Rising Pune Supergiant al-rounder Ben Stokes celebrates a Kings XI Punjab wicket with teammates during their IPL-10 match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune yesterday. Pic/AFP
Rising Pune Supergiant captain Steve Smith said the team will miss Ben Stokes in the IPL play-offs after they comfortably beat Kings XI Punjab in a do-or-die tie.
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Pune yesterday beat Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets to finish second in the points table behind Mumbai Indians.
It was complete domination by the home team, which first skittled out Kings XI Punjab for a paltry 73 and then knocked off the runs in only 12 overs. "It was a nice day. The bowlers did a terrific job," said a satisfied Smith.
"We were searching a bit in the first few games. We had new players coming in, we have a good balance now. Really good to finish second and have bites at the cherry. We have a couple of options for Stokes. He has been magnificent and will be a big loss. Hopefully, the other guys will stand up for us," he added.
Stokes, the costliest player of IPL-10, who left for national duty after yesterday's match, scored 316 runs from 12 games with 103 not out being his highest. The England all-rounder picked 12 wickets.
Smith said toss played a crucial in deciding the outcome of the match. "We were fortunate to win the toss, the ball was stopping. It was an easy decision, the wicket was sticky. Shardul (Thakur) and (Jaydev) Unadkat were outstanding."
KXIP skipper Glenn Maxwell said losing the toss hurt. "Unfortunately in the IPL, a lot can be decided by the toss," he said.
Rs 14.5 cr
The amount Rising Pune Supergiant paid for Ben Stokes this IPL. Stokes aggregated 316 runs and took 12 wickets in 12 matches
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