IPL 9, Match 53: RPS v KXIP– Statistical Highlights

The Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) versus Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) at Vizag, which was thought to be a dead rubber, turned out to be a really exciting game. MS Dhoni treated his fans with yet another classic knock, slamming 64 runs off just 32 balls, including 23 runs off the last over to help his team earn a consolation win. Batting first, Kings XI Punjab posted a challenging 173 runs for the MS Dhoni-led side to chase. Murali Vijay (59 from 41 balls) played a superb innings yet again before Gurkeerat Maan (51 from 30 balls) came in and capitalised on the platform laid by his skipper. The RPS side, in reply, started off steadily but then got sluggish as they lost wickets at a crucial time. However, MS Dhoni anchored the innings fabulously and kept the game alive till the last over before hitting Axar Patel for three sixes and a four to seal the deal and win the match by 4 wickets.

284 – Runs by MS Dhoni is the fewest aggregate in an IPL season.

0-5 – KXIP’s win-loss record when they won the toss in this IPL, before this match. They are the only team not to win any match after winning the toss.

1 – The 50 plus stand between Murali Vijay and Hashim Amla for the opening wicket was the 1st in last 7 matches. They had 3 such stands in their first 7 matches.

2 – This is for the second consecutive time when KXIP have finished last in the points table. They were at the bottom in the last season as well.

3 – This is the 3rd occasion in IPL, MS Dhoni has finished a successful chase with a six.

4 – 50 plus score for Vijay as captain in this IPL – most by a KXIP captain in a single season. Former Adam Gilchrist made 3 in 2011 season.

4 – Ravichandran Ashwin’s 4/34 in today’s game is his best bowling figures in IPL.

5 – RPS finishes with five wins in 14 games. Incidentally, all of them have come while chasing.

6 – Ravichandran Ashwin is the 6^th bowler to take 100 Wickets in IPL. Other five are Lasith Malinga, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Dwayne Bravo and Harbhajan Singh. He was ten short of the milestone before the start of the tournament. He took 6 in the first 13 games and 4 in this match.

15 – Murali Vijay is the 15th player to score 2500 IPL runs.

23 – Runs scored by RPS in the final over is the most chased in the final over of the inns in IPL. Previous best was 21 by 3 teams.

25 – Murali Vijay is the 25th player to play at least 100 IPL games.

453 – The second highest number of runs hit by Murali Vijay in a season. His best was 458 runs in 2010.

The last time Irfan Pathan opened the bowling in an IPL match was on 19 May 2013, in his last game for DD against PWI at Pune.