RPS Full Form in Cricket
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), we saw the team, which is the full form of RPS Rising Pune Supergiant. That team was a franchise that played in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The team base was in Pune, Maharashtra, and they came into play as a temporary fix for the two top-performing franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), which at that time were serving a two-year suspension term because of a spot fixing issue.
Rising Pune Supergiant, which was a part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, put up their home games at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. During their brief time in the league, the team did see success in growing their fan base and in attracting top international talent. The team, which started in 2016 with MS Dhoni as the captain, one of India’s greats, saw Steve Smith take over the captain’s armband the following season. Also, for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, we saw former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming in the head coach’s role.
Tournaments and Contributions
Though for two seasons of the IPL, RPS took part in it did that much, which was great. In their first season (2016), which was also their debut, they didn’t go as planned, as they finished seventh in the points table. But in the 2017 season, things turned around for them; they made it to the finals, which they played against the Mumbai Indians. That final was one of the most exciting in the history of the IPL, which RPS lost by a single run despite putting up a great fight from the players. In 2017, what RPS did was show great team play, balance, and determination, which proved that they had what it takes to go head-to-head with the best in the league.
RPS filled the void left by CSK and RR, which had stepped out of the picture. The franchise brought the fans in Pune into the fold and also added to the overall excitement and quality of the tournament. With their participation, the IPL was able to present strong and competitive teams, which in turn kept the league’s spirit alive.
Prominent Members
Rising Pune Supergiant had an all-star team, which put together a great array of international talent. Apart from Steve Smith and MS Dhoni, the team also included Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, and Adam Zampa. Also of note is that Ben Stokes won the IPL 2017 Most Valuable Player award for his excellent all-around game. That combined to make RPS one of the most competitive teams during their short run.
Succession and Replacement
With CSK and RR returning to the IPL for the 2017 season, the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise nomenclature had ceased to exist and had done its job. In 2022, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) were introduced, increasing the number of teams in the IPL to ten at the same time.
While RPS was only around for a brief peroid of time, it occupies a large place in the IPL history. Both for its fighting spirit when they played, entertaining matches, and in filling the void of a shortened gap in the IPL calendar. While Rising Pune Supergiant lived only two seasons, what they put into the IPL was huge. They kept the competition dynamic, very much in the game, and entertaining, which is still a memory that fans of Indian cricket treasure.