Dhoni, Fleming look to replicate CSK success

This is the franchise's first season.

Rising Pune Supergiants have already attracted a massive fan base by successfully completing their first order of business post-establishment - appoint MS Dhoni as captain, currently one of the world's most influential sportspersons. Having had the first pick at the IPL draft, there was a high probability they would acquire his services, and it seems the rest of the squad has been intricately built around him. Three of their four most expensive purchases - Kevin Pietersen, Ishant Sharma and Mitchell Marsh - were bought for a combined INR 12.10 crores, but their insistence on legspinner M Ashwin (INR 4.5 crores) provided many with a compelling point for the failure to fathom IPL auctions.

The batting core, is as strong as any other's in the competition. The brains behind the operation - Faf du Plessis, Steven Smith and Dhoni, all T20I captains - will be tasked with consolidation or score-amplifying duties, much like their roles in for their national teams. In a game of fine margins, will their similar styles be a boon or bane?

The bowling, on the other hand, seems carefully assembled for slow surfaces, akin to that of Chennai Super Kings. Much of that same CSK flavour has been retained by the appointment of Stephen Fleming as head coach. R Ashwin, Albie Morkel and Ishwar Pandey will not do much to take that method of cricket away from the Supergiants brand either. Will the Pune pitch, a track that closely resembled the outfield for the T20I against Sri Lanka in February, live up to the franchise's expectations?

Before the tournament, Supergiants seem to have adopted a template for for sluggish conditions, with potent batsmen to counter two-paced pitches. Despite the presence of Marsh and Dhoni, do they have enough firepower in the middle and lower order to tackle the bigger sides in alien conditions, and achieve the unthinkable targets that T20s are getting increasingly accustomed to?

Kevin Pietersen's form prior to the IPL auction got many questioning the England selectors' acumen: Pietersen last played a T20I for England in 2013, and was unceremoniously dropped in 2014; in 16 games in the Ram Slam and Big Bash League in 2015-16, Pietersen scored 724 runs at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 166.43. Also, his stint with Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League would have, undoubtedly, prepared Pietersen for a possibly gruelling season on potentially tough surfaces.

Apart from Ashok Dinda, Ishant Sharma is the only bowler in this squad possessed of genuine pace. Ishant wasn't a part of India's T20 plans and had therefore been allowed time to train in the months leading up to the IPL. Although sparingly effective at keeping the runs down, Ishant provides a different skill to this side with his pace and wicket-taking prowess.

Rajat Bhatia's cunning variations in pace and control over his craft have made him a handful in the IPL. Sixteen years since making his debut, Bhatia completed 100 first-class matches this season. Having played every year since the IPL's inception for various teams, Bhatia will be a useful lower-order cog to Dhoni and his team. Supergiants picked up the allrounder for INR 60 lakhs, double his base price, and it remains to be seen if other teams will regret not having acquired one of the tournament's under-the-radar stars.

No injury concerns.

Head coach - Stephen Fleming, assistant coach - Hrishikesh Kanitkar, bowling coach - Eric Simons, performance analyst - Prasanna Agoram

"I understand that too many chefs can make things messy, but believe me, when you have someone like MS Dhoni, there is no question who is in control."
Rising Pune Supergiants head coach Stephen Fleming