IPL 2017, Live - Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kings XI Punjab, Live cricket score: RPS hand KXIP early blows

With a place in the IPL 2017 playoffs on the line, Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab will both be going all-out for a win in their match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune today. Steve Smith has won the toss and has chosen to field. Catch live cricket score of Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kings XI Punjab here.

Jaydev Unadkat celebrates the wicket of Martin Guptill during match 55 of 2017 Indian Premier League between Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab at the MCA Pune International Cricket Stadium. Get live cricket score of Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kings XI Punjab here (BCCI )

Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will leave no stone unturned in search of a win when they face off against each other in what is virtually a shootout for a place in the IPL 2017 playoffs, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune today. Get the live cricket score of Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kings XI Punjab here (LIVE SCORECARD | LIVE STREAMING INFO)

16:20 hrs IST: Excellent over from Thakur. Four runs and a wicket. KXIP are 23/2 after 4 overs.

16:18 hrs IST: Morgan at No. 4. The southpaw holds the key here for the visitors.

16:17 hrs IST: WICKET! Thakur gets his first scalp. Marsh, who looked threatening, departs for 10. KXIP in some trouble now.

16:15 hrs IST: Dot ball to finish off. KXIP are 19/1 after 3 overs.

16:13 hrs IST: SIX! Slower delivery from Unadkat and Saha flicks it over square leg for a maximum. Wind came into play.

16:11 hrs IST: Unadkat to continue

16:10 hrs IST: Single off the final ball for Saha. KXIP are 11/1 after 2 overs.

16:09 hrs IST: FOUR! Half volley from Thakur and Marsh hits it well in the gap between mid-on and mid-wicket.

16:07 hrs IST: Fullish length from Thakur, moves a bit, Saha works it to third man for a single.

16:06 hrs IST: Shardul Thakur comes into the attack. Saha to face his first ball.

16:04 hrs IST: FOUR! Length ball from Unadkat, Marsh leans forward and drives it past the fielder at cover for his first boundary. Still a good over from Unadkat. KXIP are 4/1 after first over.

16:02 hrs IST: Shaun Marsh is the next man in.

16:01 hrs IST: WICKET! What a start for RPS. Unadkat strikes on the first ball. Good length delivery, Guptill goes for the drive but it’s in the air and Manoj Tiwary completes a simple catch at short cover.

16:00 hrs IST: It’s time for live action. Guptill and Saha to open for the visitors. Unadkat to bowl the first over.

STAT ATTACK - Mohit Sharma is now the 44th Indian and 276th player overall to complete a century of matches in Twenty-20 cricket

15:40 hrs IST: So Morgan returns for KXIP. He replaces Matt Henry while Swapnil Singh comes in for Manan Vohra. RPS are unchanged.

15:35 hrs IST: Playing XI of both teams -

KXIP: Martin Guptill, Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Glenn Maxwell(c), Shaun Marsh, Eoin Morgan, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Swapnil Singh, Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Sandeep Sharma

RPS: Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Steven Smith(c), Manoj Tiwary, Ben Stokes, MS Dhoni(wk), Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Adam Zampa

15:31 hrs IST: Rising Pune Supergiant have won the toss and have opted to bowl.

15:20 hrs IST: The all-important toss in a short while.

15:10 hrs IST: Good afternoon and welcome to HT’s live coverage of the ‘winner takes it all’ IPL 2017 encounter between Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab.

RPS are currently on 16 points from their 13 games, while KXIP have 14 from the same number of games. However, RPS’s negative net run rate means that a win will be enough for KXIP to send them to the playoffs.

RPS struggled to chase down Delhi Daredevils’ 169-run target in their previous game, with a middle-order batting collapse not helping their case.