Last night in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans (GT) outclassed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and knocked the five-time champions out of the playoff race. With that win, they also confirmed a top-two finish for themselves. CSK’s elimination means it now comes down to the four teams still in contention for a playoff spot. Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are the four teams still fighting for the remaining playoff spot alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), GT and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Here is a look at what each side needs to do to secure the last playoffs spot:
RR: It could go down to the final day of the league stage. On Sunday, RR play their last match against Mumbai Indians. Since it is an afternoon game, the picture will become clearer by the evening regarding which team qualifies. An RR win would take them through. The margin of victory would not matter in that case, as they would reach 16 points, which none of the other three teams can match. GT’s victory also ruled RR out of contention for a top-two finish. Their best possible outcome now is to beat MI and qualify for the playoffs in either third or fourth place. Whether they finish third will depend on the result of the SRH vs RCB clash. For RR, it is effectively a must-win encounter at the Wankhede Stadium. A loss to MI would still keep them in contention, but then PBKS and KKR would both need to lose their respective final matches. In that scenario, RR’s net run rate (NRR) would come into play.
PBKS: If RR lose their final match, victory in their last game against Lucknow Super Giants would put PBKS in a strong position to qualify. PBKS have a net run rate (NRR) of +0.227, which is better than KKR’s +0.011, and they would need to win by a margin that KKR cannot surpass if the Knight Riders also win their final match. A defeat would confirm PBKS’ elimination.
KKR: The Ajinkya Rahane-led side also have a viable chance of making it to the final four. If both RR and PBKS lose their matches, a win would take the three-time winners through. If RR lose and PBKS win, KKR would need to win their final match by a big enough margin to overturn the deficit in net run rate against PBKS. As with PBKS and DC, a defeat would end KKR’s campaign.
DC: DC are on the brink of elimination and have only a faint chance of reaching the playoffs. Even if both RR and PBKS lose their final matches, DC would still need to beat KKR by a massive margin to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Another battle is also unfolding among the teams that have already secured qualification. RCB, with 18 points and a net run rate (NRR) of 1.065, are strong favourites to finish in the top two alongside GT. However, SRH, on 16 points with a net run rate (NRR) of 0.350, still have a slim chance of overtaking RCB on Friday.
For that to happen, SRH would need to hand RCB a heavy defeat similar to the one GT inflicted on CSK, either by winning by 87 or more runs or by chasing the target in around 11 to 11.4 overs, depending on the opposition’s score.
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz