IPL: Pune restrict Punjab to 73

Pune, May 14 (IANS) Riding on some disciplined bowling, Rising Pune Supergiant restricted Kings XI Punjab to 73 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday which will decide the fourth slot for the play-offs.

Axar Patel (22) and Wriddhiman Saha (13) were the major contributors for Punjab's cause.

Punjab never looked in contention as they started their innings on a poor note. Martin Guptill (0) was dismissed by Jaydev Unadkat on the very first ball of the innings caught at short cover by Manoj Tiwary.

After adding 19 runs to the score with Saha, incoming batsman Shaun Marsh (10) was also dismissed by Daniel Christian in the fourth over and the scoreboard read 19/2.

Punjab's middle-order suffered a collapse with Eoin Morgan (4), who was playing in place of Manan Vohra, Rahul Tewatia (4) and skipper Glenn Maxwell (0) failing to step up to the occasion. They were all sent packing before seven overs had been bowled.

Saha, who seemed good at the crease, could not handle the pressure and was dismissed by Christian in the 10th over.

Axar Patel, however, showed his temperament and slammed a few boundaries before he was dismissed by Christian in the 12th over.

Lower-order batsmen Swapnil Singh (10), Mohit Sharma (6) and Ishant Sharma (0) were also dismissed in the next three overs to restrict Punjab for 73 runs in 15.5 overs.

For Pune, Shardul Thakur scalped three wickets while Unadkat, Adam Zampa and Christian took two wickets each.

Brief Score:
Kings XI Punjab: 73 all out (Axar Patel 22, Wriddhiman Saha 13; Shardul Thakur 3/19) against Rising Pune Supergiant.