The race for the Indian Premier League, (IPL) 2024, qualifying for the playoffs has intensified with the famous T20 tournament heading towards its commercial end. With just seven games remaining in the league stage of IPL 2024, two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) have already been eliminated from the playoff race following their dismal campaigns in the ongoing edition.
Meanwhile, five other teams are still in contention to secure the remaining three spots for the IPL 2024 playoffs.
In this regard, we take a look at the scenarios in which all the teams remaining in the IPL 2024 playoffs can still qualify.
Rajasthan Royalty
Despite losing the last three matches, Rajasthan Royals (RR) are the overwhelming favorites to finish in the top two in the IPL 2024 league stage. With 16 points from 12 games, Royals are second in the standings with a run rate net of +0.349. The Sanju Samson-led Royals are still scheduled to face Punjab Kings (May 15) and Kolkata Knight Riders (May 19). They need to win at least one of their remaining games to qualify for the playoffs. If the Royals win both matches, they will finish in the top two. However, if RR suffer defeat in both games, they are still expected to qualify due to a better NRR.
Played: 12, Points: 16, NRR: +0.349
Remaining matches: PBKS (H), KKR (H)
Super Kings of Chennai
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are third in the IPL 2024 standings. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have recorded seven wins and six losses this season with 14 points on the board. The five-time IPL champions will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their final game. To qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs, CSK just needs to beat RCB at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 18. With a net run rate of +0.528, CSK will finish in the top four with a win on Saturday. However, if they lose, CSK need to ensure that they do not lose more than 18 runs or allow RCB to chase in 18.1 overs. CSK also has to hope that SRH and LSH lose both their scheduled games. In this case, both CSK and RCB can still qualify with 14 points each.
Played: 13, Points: 14, NRR: +0.528
Remaining matches: RCB (A)
SunRisers Hyderabad
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) is one of the other contenders for the top two this season. With 14 points from 12 games, SRH are fourth in the IPL 2024 standings with a net run rate of +0.406. The Pat Cummins-led team is scheduled to face Gujarat Titans (May 16) and Punjab Kings (May 19) in the remaining two matches at their home ground in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, SRH needs to win at least one of their pending games to secure their place in the playoffs. If they win both matches, they could challenge KKR and RR to finish in the top two. However, if they lose both games, CSK, RCB or even LSG could finish above them.
Played: 12, Points: 14, NRR: +0.406
Remaining matches: GT (H), PBKS (H)
Royal Challengers from Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a sensational comeback in IPL 2024 to stay in the playoff race. After winning just one of their seven games in the first half, RCB are on a five-game winning streak and jump to fifth place in the standings with 12 points from 13 games. To qualify for the playoffs, RCB first need to beat CSK by 18 runs or chase down 18.1 overs on Saturday to secure a better NRR than the defending champions. Even after a win, RCB will depend on other results to reach the playoffs. Faf du Plessis’ men need SRH to lose both games. They also demand that LSG go down in one of the remaining matches.
Played: 13, Points: 12, NRR: +0.387
Remaining games: CSK (H)
Capitals of Delhi
While Delhi Capitals still have a mathematical chance of qualifying for the IPL 2024 playoffs, it is highly unlikely that Rishabh Pant’s men will finish in the top four. With a net run rate of -0.482, which is currently below CSK, SRH and RCB, the Capitals’ IPL 2024 campaign is almost done and over. For DC’s miraculous entry into the IPL 2024 playoffs, they first need to beat LSG by a huge margin to improve their net run rate. The Capitals also need SRH to lose the next two games by huge margins. DC will also require CSK to defeat RCB and LSG to defeat MI.
Played: 13, Points: 12, NRR: -0.482
Remaining games: LSG (H)
Lucknow Supergiants
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are one of the other contenders to finish in the top four. With 12 points accumulated from 12 matches, the KL Rahul-led team is seventh in the IPL 2024 standings. However, LSG is scheduled to face Delhi Capitals (May 14) and Mumbai Indians (May 17) in their last two league games. To qualify for the playoffs, LSG needs to win their next two games due to their low net run rate of -0.769. Also, they need to win both games with huge margins to improve their NRR. Even if they manage to win both games, they could still finish outside the top four if CSK and SRH finish the league stage with 16 points as they have a better NRR.
Played: 12, Points: 12, NRR: -0.769
Remaining matches: DC (A), MI (A)
Topics mentioned in this article
This story originally appeared on ndtv.com read the full story
