IPL: Dhoni rescues Pune in sensational fashion

Omnisports

May 21, 2016 1:34 AM

Three maximums from MS Dhoni in the final over saw Rising Pune Supergiants beat Kings XI Punjab by four wickets.

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MS Dhoni produced a sensational final over to ensure Rising Pune Supergiants finished their maiden Indian Premier League campaign on a high with a four-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab.

With neither side able to qualify for the top four, pride was all that was at stake on Saturday and it was Dhoni's side who came out on top to lift them off the bottom of the table.

The 34-year-old hit an unbeaten 64 – including 22 off the final six balls – to grab a fifth win of the competition, Dhoni hitting successive maximums off the last two deliveries in an amazing finish.

Kings XI looked to have set a competitive total after winning the toss and electing to bat, Hashim Amla (30) and Murali Vijay (59) giving them a strong start with an opening stand of 60.

The duo should have gone on from there, but wickets fell too regularly as Ravichandran Ashwin (4-34) and Adam Zampa (1-32) impressed with the ball, only Gurkeerat Singh (51) offered real resistance with a 30-ball half century.

Gurkeerat's best score of the season helped them to 172-7, but Pune's batting line-up was eventually able to handle the pressure of their run chase.

Ajinkya Rahane (19) and Usman Khawaja (30) set them on their way, but somehow with an over remaining they still needed 23 runs to win.

A wide got them under way before Dhoni took centre stage with an audacious piece of batting.

His first maximum saw Axar Patel (1-43) launched over long-on, and two balls later the ball was thudding into the cover boundary as Dhoni took control.

Dhoni still needed 12 off the final two balls, but it proved no problem as both deliveries went sailing over the fence at midwicket to secure a dramatic late victory.

Omnisports

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