Rising Pune Supergiant overcame all the odds to reach the finals of the 2017 IPL edition. But their dreams of lifting the IPL title got crushed by Mumbai Indians, who went on to lift their third IPL title. The Pune franchise did not qualify for the playoffs in the 2016 IPL edition, and it was the first time that a franchise led by MS Dhoni failed to reach the playoffs. The franchise switched its name from Rising Pune Supergiants to Rising Pune Supergiant and changed its skipper. RPS replaced MS Dhoni with Steve Smith as the captain in the 2017 IPL season. It turned out to be a fruitful season for the Pune franchise, with their bowling playing a vital role. The following list shows the top ten wicket-takers for Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League history.
1. Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat took the most wickets for the Pune franchise in 2017. Unadkat took 24 wickets in 12 IPL games at 7.0 runs per over and a bowling average of 13 and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2017 IPL edition. He scalped a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul, with his best bowling figures being 5/30.
2. Adam Zampa
The Aussie leg-spinner played 11 IPL games for Rising Pune Supergiant and scalped 19 wickets at 7.5 runs per over and a bowling average of 14. Zampa is one of the bowlers to take six wickets in an innings in the IPL history, with his best bowling figures of 6/19 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
3. Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir was a replacement player for Mitchell Marsh in the 2017 IPL edition but did wonders for the Pune franchise. Tahir played 12 IPL matches and picked up 18 wickets at 7.8 runs per over and a bowling average of 20. The South African leg-spin bowler had the best bowling performance of 3/18 for the Pune franchise.
4. Ben Stokes
The England all-rounder became the most expensive player in the 2017 IPL auctions when RPS bought him at Rs. 14.5 Crore. He created the impact with both bat and ball and picked up 12 wickets in 12 IPL matches at 7.0 runs per over with a strike rate of 26. Stokes had the best bowling figures of 3/18 for Pune.
5. Ashoke Dinda
Dinda was a part of 12 IPL games for the franchise and picked up 12 wickets at 8.6 runs per over with a bowling average of 29. The right-arm seam bowler had a great 2016 IPL season with the ball but suffered a torrid 2017 season. Dinda’s best bowling figures in the IPL for RPS were 3/20.
6. Daniel Christian
The Aussie all-rounder was a part of the successful group in the 2017 season where he played 13 IPL games and took 11 wickets at 7.4 runs per over with a bowling average of 27 and his best performance being 2/10.
7. Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur got discovered by the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 season, where he took 11 wickets in 12 IPL games at 8.2 runs per over with a bowling average of 28. Thakur was a great bowling partner of Unadkat for the Pune franchise in 2017, and his best bowling performance was 3/19.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin played for the Pune franchise in the 2016 IPL edition. Ashwin played 14 IPL games and took ten wickets at 7.2 runs per over and a bowling average of 31 with the best bowling figures of 4/34. The off-spinner got ruled out of the 2017 IPL season.
9. Thisara Perera
The Sri Lankan all-rounder was a part of 12 IPL matches for the Pune franchise and picked up nine wickets at 9.8 runs per over with a bowling average of 36, and his best bowling performance was 3/34. Perera played in the 2016 edition for RPS.
10. Washington Sundar
The off-spinning all-rounder was a replacement player for Ravichandran Ashwin in the 2017 edition of the IPL. And he took the opportunity with his full hands. Sundar wore the RPS jersey in 11 IPL matches and scalped eight wickets at 6.1 runs per over with a bowling average of 23 and the best bowling figures of 3/16, which came in the first qualifier of the playoffs. It was his miserly bowling that created pressure on the batters and helped the other bowlers take an advantage.
