In IPL 2023, Gujarat Titans became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Gujarat Titans defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 34 runs and confirmed their place in the top-4 teams. Delhi Capitals and SRH are already out of the playoff race. In such a situation, only three spots are vacant to make a place in the playoffs, and for this, 5 contenders are in the fray.
Look at the full scenario of all the teams to reach the next stage.
Chennai Super Kings:- Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team has played 13 matches and has 15 points with seven wins. CSK can reach 17 points by winning their last match. Currently, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat can get more points than them. In such a situation, CSK will have to win this match under any circumstances.
Punjab Kings:- Shikhar Dhawan’s team has 12 points in 12 matches. By winning the remaining two matches, Punjab can reach 16 points. Along with winning both their matches, they will have to hope that there are at least two teams from Chennai, Lucknow and Bangalore who lose one match so that the net run rate does not reach to make it to the IPL playoffs.
Mumbai Indians:- Mumbai has 14 points with 7 wins in 12 matches. Rohit Sharma’s team can also take advantage of top-2 by reaching 18 points. This is possible only when they win both of the remaining matches. Also, Mumbai Indians will have to hope that any two teams out of CSK, RCB Lucknow Super Giants lose one of their matches. If Mumbai gets stuck on 16 points with a win, then it can also be out of top-4 due to a poor net run rate.
Kolkata Knight Riders:- Nitish Rana’s captaincy team has 12 points after playing 13 matches. They have very less chances of reaching the playoffs. By winning the last match, they can reach 14 points. However, even after this victory, they will have to depend on the performance of other teams. Punjab and Rajasthan can reach 14 points. They must hope that RCB and Punjab lose at least one of their matches to stay in the playoffs.
Lucknow Super Giants:- The remaining two matches of the new captain Krunal Pandya’s captaincy team are against MI and KKR. LSG has 13 points in 12 matches. They can easily reach the playoffs by winning both matches, but a single defeat can prove fatal for them.
Rajasthan Royals:- Sanju Samson’s team has 12 points in 13 matches. They can reach up to 14 digits. It is very difficult for them to reach the playoffs. After winning their last match, Rajasthan will have to hope that Mumbai, Lucknow and Bangalore will lose their last two matches to make it based on net run rate.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:- The team captained by Faf du Plessis has 12 points in 12 matches. They must win the remaining two matches to qualify for the playoffs. Even after winning both matches, RCB will have to fight the battle of net run rate. In this case, they can compete with Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai and Punjab.