With the Indian Premier League (IPL) season reaching the business end, a few teams are fighting hard to earn themselves a coveted play-off spot. As we head into the last handful of matches, the tension is higher than it ever has been. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants are all squabbling for a place in the play-offs. Every team has taken its own distinct route to get to this point.
As things stand, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are first with 16 points from 11 matches. They have three fixtures left: facing the Lucknow Super Giants away, the Sunrisers Hyderabad at home, and concluding against the Kolkata Knight Riders at home. To guarantee their chances in the play-offs, they will have to win at least 2 of these games.
Right behind them are the Punjab Kings, in second with 15 points in 11 games. The Punjab Kings have three matches remaining: they will take on the Delhi Capitals at home, host the Mumbai Indians, and travel to face the Rajasthan Royals. At least two wins from these matches will ensure that they are playing in the play-offs.
As things stand, the Gujarat Titans sit in fourth with 14 points from 10 games. They enjoy a game in hand over their competitors but face an uphill battle as they possess the worst net run-rate among all teams still vying for a play-off position. Their upcoming schedule features some pivotal matchups that would serve to make or break a Cinderella season.
In fifth place, the Delhi Capitals have 13 points from 11 games. They face a challenging path ahead with three fixtures left: an away match against the Punjab Kings, a home game against the Gujarat Titans, and a final away match against the Mumbai Indians. To improve their odds of making it further, they need to win all three of their final games.
The Kolkata Knight Riders are struggling at the sixth position with 11 points from 11 matches. Next week, they have a potentially epic home game on their hands against the Chennai Super Kings. Following this, they will encounter equally daunting away fixtures against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. To their credit, in order for them to even have any slim chance of reaching the play-offs, they need at a minimum two wins.
At the bottom of the standings are the Lucknow Super Giants, currently sitting in seventh place with just 10 points from 11 matches. Things don’t get any easier as they travel for their next encounter, an away match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After that, they’ll welcome Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Mumbai Indians to their home ground. The Lucknow Super Giants must win every one of their last matches to stay in contention from their end at the very least.
As teams make plans for these important head-to-head matchups, the race for play-off spots grows even hotter. The Mumbai Indians have had the best net run-rate this season. Even though they have outperformed many of their rivals, they are left sitting much worse in the tables than their peers. This stat could be incredibly important in deciding final placements if teams are tied on points.
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