A late revival by the likes of Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders means there are as many as eight teams in contention for the four play-off berths with 10 days left for the league stage to wind up in the Indian Premier League.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the consistent Gujarat Titans were expected to make it to the playoffs before the start of the tournament. Now, SunRisers Hyderabad too are a part of the leading pack after making a slow start to the competition. What has been most unexpected is the rapid slide of Punjab Kings, who have lost four games in a row to be precariously placed after dominating the first half of the league.
Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are the two teams which have been eliminated. Here are the qualifying scenarios for the eight teams in contention:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: The Rajat Patidar-led side has managed to retain the consistency that resulted in its first ever IPL title last year following a rather long wait. They play KKR on Wednesday night and a win would ensure that they have one foot in the playoffs. RCB would need another win to secure a last four spot with 18 points being the safer number compared to 16. Only Mumbai Indians qualified with 16 points last season.
Punjab Kings: Poor bowling and fielding have resulted in four straight losses for Punjab Kings, who remain in the top four owing to their stellar run in the first half of IPL. Thanks to their in-form line-up, their net run rate remains healthy and two wins out of their remaining three games against Mumbai Indians, RCB and SRH should be enough to advance in the competition.
Gujarat Titans: Since their debut in 2022, Gujarat Titans have not made the playoffs only once. With a bowling line-up firing on all cylinders and a solid top three, the Shubman Gill-led side is on course to secure a top two qualification. They have 16 points from eight wins in 12 games, almost sealing a playoff berth.
SunRisers Hyderabad: With six wins in their last eight games, SRH is another team that seems to be peaking at the right time. The belligerent batting line-up has done the job and has been supported well by bowlers led by Pat Cummins. They are on 14 points with two games to go against CSK and RCB. SRH would need at least two more points.
Chennai Super Kings: Having lost their first three games, CSK bounced back with six wins in their last eight matches. They would back themselves to collect two points against Lucknow Super Giants on May 15 before taking on SRH and Gujarat Titans in their final two league games.
Kolkata Knight Riders: The Ajinkya Rahane-led team had a disastrous first half but managed to stay alive with wins in last four games after losing six in a row. They still have a game in hand, and a win here may be enough for qualification. KKR are playing their last three games at home.
Rajasthan Royals: Despite the individual brilliance of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel, Royals have failed to find consistency. They started with four wins on the trot but lost their way after that, losing five of their last seven games. Bowling has been an issue for them just like Punjab Kings. Royals too need to win at least a couple of games out of three and hope the other results go their way.
Delhi Capitals: Delhi’s hopes hang by a thread, though the Axar Patel-led side has already started planning for the next season. Despite the win over Punjab Kings, they have too much to do to make the play-offs. They sit on 10 points and even wins with big margins may not be enough.
Also read: Against Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings look to arrest slide
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