RPS cause social media storm

The Rising Pune Supergiants had a night to forget on the field, beaten in a final-ball thriller in the IPL final, and a night to forget off it after causing a social media storm.

With three wins already on the board this season against their opponents, the Mumbai Indians, Pune and their supporters entered the match full of confidence.

That feeling would have been exacerbated as Mumbai slumped to 7-79 in the 15th over as the Pune bowlers dominated the early exchanges.

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It prompted David Warner to pre-emptively declare "All but over I think for Mumbai" on Twitter, and the Australian later copped a barrage on social media after Mumbai's remarkable comeback victory.

But the Rising Pune Supergiants social media team went one further, playing on the franchise's dominance over Mumbai this season.

Mumbai were 3-41 in the eighth over when the RPS Twitter account posted a photoshopped image of a crying Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma.

The tweet was later deleted amid an uproar of social media activity condemning the post.

For Pune, the defeat in the final could mark the end of the road for the franchise in the IPL.

Pune and the Gujarat Lions won bids to enter the league for the past two season while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals served suspensions for their involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.

Both those franchises are due to return next season, but it is possible the IPL could yet expand to be a 10-team competition, which would increase the number of matches to 84.

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IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla was reported as saying if a 10-team expansion was to happen, there would be no guarantees for Pune and Gujarat, with an open bidding process for the expansion franchises.

“No extension is being given to both the teams (Rising Pune Supergiant and the Gujarat Lions). Agreement was only for two years. Even if we make it a 10-team league, the two new teams would have to be freshly bid, so they (RPS and GL) are not being given any extension or anything,” Shukla was quoted as saying in the Deccan Chronicle.

“The issue of whether eight or 10 teams will come up at the IPL Governing Council meeting. So far the plan is to go ahead with eight teams. A 10-team league has to be endorsed by the Governing Council.”

What is confirmed for next season, however is a so-called "mega auction", where every international and likely most Indian players will be back on the auction block.

Details on how many, or even if, franchises are able to keep players has not been determined, with an answer not expected anytime soon.

“We will have a mega auction but retention policy also needs to be decided," Shukla said.

"The mega auction is not going to take place immediately, it will be just before next IPL so we have enough time to decide.”

A "mega auction" would likely be a huge boon for internationals such as leading Australians David Warner and Steve Smith, who have impressed in the current IPL tournament.

This year's player of the tournament, Ben Stokes, went for a cool A$2.1 million for his services this season, a figure he was paid with Pune knowing full well international commitments would prevent him from playing in the IPL final.