New Delhi : The ongoing edition of the IPL has witnessed a logjam as far as playoff berths are concerned. 11 matches remain in the league stage, and we look at which teams, out of the remaining eight, are leading the race to qualify for the next stage.
Starting with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who sit at the top of the points table with 8 wins, 16 points, from 12 matches. According to Star Sports, the Rajat Patidar-led unit has 96.1 per cent to make it to the playoffs. They next lock horns with the Punjab Kings (May 17) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 22). A win in either of the two matches will take RCB to the next stage.
In the second spot, we have Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans (GT), who are projected to have 98 per cent chances of making it to the final four. Gujarat has the same points as RCB from the same number of matches. They meet the Kolkata Knight Riders later on Saturday evening, and a win will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. Their final league stage clash is against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 21.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are third and have a 70 per cent chance. They next meet Chennai Super Kings (May 18) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 22). The Orange Army has 14 points from 12 matches. Wins in both matches will take them to 18 points, which is more than enough to guarantee a playoff berth irrespective of the standings.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are currently fourth with 13 points from 12 encounters. They have a 48.8 per cent chance of making it to the playoffs. They face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 17), which, if they lose, will be their sixth loss in a row, and serve as a major blow to their playoff contention. They will then meet Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final league clash, scheduled for May 23.
Rajasthan Royals, placed fifth at the moment, have a higher percentage than Punjab Kings to make it to the next stage. They have 12 points from 11 matches. They lock horns with the Delhi Capitals (May 17), which, if they win, will shut all hopes for the Axar Patel-led side. Rajasthan then takes on Lucknow Super Giants on May 19 and will need to win to bolster their chances to make it to the next round. Rajasthan lock horns with the Mumbai Indians (May 24) in the final league match.
Chennai Super Kings took a stern blow after losing against LSG on Friday evening. They have 12 points from the same number of matches and can’t risk a hiccup in any of their remaining matches, which are against Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 18) and Gujarat Titans (May 21).
Kolkata Knight Riders have 3.6 per cent, and Delhi Capitals have 3.1 per cent. KKR have three more matches – Gujarat Titans (May 16), Mumbai Indians (May 20), Delhi Capitals (May 24). A defeat in any of the three is more than enough to eliminate them from the playoff race. Even if they win the remaining three, they would still have to wait for results of other teams to fall in their favour.
Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have two matches remaining – Rajasthan Royals (May 17) and Kolkata Knight Riders (May 24). A defeat in either of the two matches will shut the doors for DC.
