IPL 10: Shaun Marsh reckons the match against Supergiant would be mini final

The last league game for Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiant is going to be a virtual knockout. The team who wins at the MCA Stadium, Pune, will make their claims stronger for the playoffs. KXIP batsman Shaun Marsh very knows this fact. Recently, the southpaw went on to tag the match as the ‘mini-final’ for them. Needless to say, the match will be a high-intensity game.

A win for RPS will confirm their spot in the playoffs. On the other hand, if KXIP win, they will have to see how the net run rate goes for them since they will be tied at 16 points with RPS. In all probability, they are likely to have a better run rate in that case. As per the recent quotes in the Hindustan Times, Shaun Marsh noted that the defeat of RPS against Delhi Daredevils sets things up perfectly for them.

“We are really excited about tomorrow’s game. With Pune losing against Delhi, it’s like a mini-final for both teams. And that’s good motivation for us as a playing group. If we win, we have a chance to get an opportunity to play in the final. We have played good cricket in the last four to five games and hope to carry it forward. We are confident,” quoted Shaun Marsh.

The Kings were dented by the departure of their two star players, Hashim Amla and David Miller. Both players left for their national duties for the England tour. Marsh reflected that the two have been wonderful performers for them. But their departure has seen the others get more chances in the match.

“Both were very important players to the team but they have left. Hash had a wonderful tournament. It gives the other guys an opportunity. The other guys are really trying to step up and make their chances count. Saha did that the other night,” said the middle-order batsman.

Most impressive Indian player

When asked to pick the most impressive Indian player in the KXIP camp, Shaun Marsh took the name of hard hitting batsman Manan Vohra. He rightly noted that the youngster has a very bright future ahead of him at the moment. He cited the example of how Vohra took the SRH bowling apart in one of the fixtures.

“There are a lot of good Indian players here and probably if I have to pick one, it would be Manan Vohra. We all saw the damage he did against Sunrisers Hyderabad (Vohra scored a 50-ball 95). He has a bright future ahead of him,” conceded Marsh.