IPL, 2016 Live Cricket Score of Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kings XI Punjab, 53rd Match

At the start of the season, Rising Pune Supergiants appeared to have the complete recipe for success in the Indian Premier League - The MS Dhoni-Stephen Fleming combine, a squad rich in T20 experience and winning start over defending and two-time champions Mumbai Indians. It all went downhill from there and 41 days since that buoyant beginning in Mumbai, Dhoni & Co. find themselves playing their final league game of the season, with only pride at stake.

When the Supergiants take on Kings XI Punjab on Saturday (May 20), it will be a battle to avoid the 'Wooden Spoon'. With only four wins from 13 matches each, Supergiants and King XI have been out of contention for a playoffs berth for a while now. The game on Saturday (May 21) offers both these beleaguered teams an opportunity to avoid the ignominy of finishing last and hope to find a combination to build on in next year's edition.

Injuries and poor form of the bowlers have been Supergiants' bane throughout the season. It all started with an injury to Kevin Pietersen, before Faf du Plessis, Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith, were also ruled out, leaving Supergiants short-staffed. The arrival of Usman Khawaja and George Bailey soothed the effect of losing four key players, but it was the bowling department, and not finding the right combination, that gave Supergiants' mostly misery and very little success. In the past few games the bowlers have stood tall, with Adam Zampa and Ashok Dinda the pioneers to that effect, but it all came a little too late in the tournament. The hosts, however, will be approaching their final game with a lot of confidence, having recently dented Delhi Daredevils chances of making it to the next round.

For Kings XI Punjab, it was their string of defeats in the first half of the tournament, caused by batting and bowling inconsistencies, that stemmed their progress. David Miller's poor form led to Murali Vijay taking over the leadership duties, and the team did respond well under his captaincy, but akin to Supergiants' case, Kings XI's good performances came too late. Fresh of a Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle hammering, Kings XI will be eager to come up with a performance that can provide them some consolation after a wretched season. The last time they were at this venue, Kings XI had registered a big win against Mumbai Indians and they will be keen to emulate that and end the tournament on a winning note.

RPS are five down but the positive news is that two big-hitters in Thisara Perera and MS Dhoni are in the middle. They need to score 54 off the final four overs.

England are making life tough for a relatively-inexperienced Sri Lankan batting line-up. Hop over to the live blog of that game here.

Hashim Amla and Murali Vijay have given Kings XI Punjab a good start here. They've scored 52 off the batting powerplay, 27 of which came from the last two overs. Rising Pune Supergiants need a wicket here.

Gurkeerat is on a roll. It's that sort of day when he can do no wrong. He sends both Saurabh Tiwary and Usman Khawaja back to the hut. RPS have been dented in chase here, reach 80 for 4 in 11.5 overs.

MS Dhoni, you absolute beauty! The beard may have gone grey but the batting acumen stays intact. In a season when nothing has gone his way, his bowlers have let him down, he's come out and closed the season in his own inimitable fashion. RPS needed 23 off the final over with Dhoni on strike and Vijay opted to throw the ball to Axar Patel, as opposed to Kyle Abbott.

- Dhoni refused a run off the first ball that he absolutely tonked to deep mid-wicket. No run. Pressure mounts. 23 required off 5 balls

- Axar can feel it to. He tries the arm ball but sways down the leg side. Wide. 22 required off 5 balls.

- SIX! Dhoni flexes his muscle and pulls it over deep mid-wicket. He seems furious. And charged up. 16 required off 4 balls.

- Phenomenal fielding from Hashim Amla. What a dive in the deep! Axar made the grave error of bowling short and wide to Dhoni, who gave it a mighty heave. The ball seemed destined to crash onto the advertising hoarding in front of point before Amla put in a dive. Dhoni decided not to run. He's got this chase. Ravichandran Ashwin has to jog back to the non-striker's end. 16 required off 3 balls.

- FOUR! Axar repeats the error and this time Dhoni doesn't miss out. He whacks the ball over deep cover. It brings up his half-century but he's far from done here. 12 required off 2 balls.

- SIX! Dhoni, classic Dhoni. Axar bowls a length ball that has been hammered over deep mid-wicket. Losing his touch? Hard to suggest that at the moment. He still knows what he is capable of and goes for it. 6 required off 1 ball.

- SIX! Dhoni does it! Axar can only look in disbelief as his attempt to push a full delivery on the leg side to strangle the RPS skipper didn't pay off. Dhoni shuffled, made room and whipped the ball over the deep mid-wicket. That had POWER written all over it. What a shame this knock isn't one that takes a team to the playoffs. Dhoni's 23-run madness ensures RPS finish one spot off the bottom of the table. Small victory from a magnanimous effort.