IPL 2024 Playoff Race: How GT vs KKR Washout affects RCB, CSK, LSG and SRH

Gujarat Titans have fallen out of the IPL 2024 playoffs race after their match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday was abandoned due to rain. As a result GT can reach a maximum of 13 points even if they win their last league match – a number that will not be enough to take them into the Top 4. On the other hand KKR now have 19 points from 13 games and they have the guarantee of a top 2 result. With GT out of the race, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants still remain in contention and have one less team to worry about. Here’s how the failure affected the IPL 2024 playoff race with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants –

Royal Challengers from Bengaluru

RCB are currently on a five-game winning streak and will have to win their last game against Chennai Super Kings. A win will take them to 14 points and their playoff hopes will come down to Net Run Rate (NRR). The best-case scenario for RCB will be LSG and SRH winning one of the two remaining matches or losing both. Defeats in both games will mean that RCB can progress even if they defeat CSK by a narrow margin. If SRH and LSG win a match each, NRR will come into play and RCB will have to register a big win over CSK to secure their place in the playoffs. If SRH lose both matches, RCB can qualify with a big win over CSK as both will have 14 points.

Super Kings of Chennai

A win over RCB will take CSK straight to the playoffs, but a defeat might not be the end of the road for the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team. If LSG loses the remaining two games, CSK will go through with 14 points. If LSG wins, CSK will still be favorites to progress due to a much higher NRR. If LSG wins both matches and SRH loses both, a CSK loss to RCB will mean the final playoff spot will be decided between CSK, SRH and RCB on net run rate.

Lucknow Supergiants

LSG will have to win the remaining two matches and that will take them to 16 points. If CSK beats RCB and SRH wins one of the remaining two matches, all 3 teams could finish with 16 points and LSG may not qualify due to their lower NRR. If SRH wins both matches and CSK loses to RCB, LSG will move into fourth position. If SRH loses both matches, LSG can go ahead by winning the remaining matches regardless of what happens in the clash between CSK and RCB.

Sunrise in Hyderabad

Wins in the remaining two matches will guarantee a playoff spot for SRH. If they lose one of their matches and LSG win both matches, both teams will have 16 points but SRH will have an advantage due to a much higher NRR. If SRH loses the remaining two matches and LSG wins both the games, the Pat Cummins-led team will have to depend on the outcome of the game between RCB and CSK. If CSK wins the match, SRH will drop out of the race. However, if CSK loses to RCB, the final spot in the playoffs will be decided by the NRR.