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There are just seven games to go before the end of the pool phase of the IPL.
Thereafter it’s into the playoffs and downhill to the final. Even though 62 out of 70 pool games have been played, only one team has qualified for the play-offs and only two are out of the running.
That means that seven teams are still vying for three places in post-season. Let’s take a look to assess their chances and see who is most likely to finish where.
The solitary team currently breathing easy is Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Sitting comfortably at the top with 18 points from 13 games, their clinical 23-run dismantling of the Punjab Kings officially secured their playoff ticket.
Backed by an imposing +1.065 Net Run Rate (NRR) and spearheaded by Virat Kohli’s reliable bat, RCB are all but guaranteed to wrap up the league phase exactly where they are right now: in 1st place.
Behind them, the Gujarat Titans look almost as secure in second place. With 16 points and an impressive run of four wins in their last five matches, their top two ambitions rest heavily on the orange-cap-chasing duarchy of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill.
Barring a catastrophic mathematical collapse in their final fixture, Gujarat’s consistency should carry them through with a crucial qualifier safety net.
Also read: Revealed – The five biggest disappointments of this year’s IPL so far
The real intrigue begins in the race for the remaining two postseason spots. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) currently hold the wildcard advantage in 3rd place.
Crucially, they possess a game in hand over most of the chasing pack, sitting on 14 points from 12 matches with a robust +0.331 NRR. Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive middle-order hitting has given them a fear factor that few can match.
If they secure even a single win from their remaining double-header, the Sunrisers will lock down their spot. Expect them to absorb the pressure and comfortably finish in third.
That leaves an absolute dogfight for the final playoff berth, the coveted 4th place.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) currently sit in that spot on paper with 13 points, but they are a side in freefall. Reeling from an excruciating six-match losing streak, they have played 13 games and have completely lost control of their own destiny. They are the ultimate sitting ducks.
Waiting to overtake them are three teams deadlocked on 12 points: Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Delhi can effectively be discounted; they have played 13 matches and suffer from a horrific -0.871 NRR that will choke out their postseason aspirations.
Therefore, the final spot will come down to a straight sprint between two heavyweight franchises: CSK and the Rajasthan Royals. Both have identical 6–6 records and sit on parallel +0.027 NRRs.
However, momentum is a cruel master. Rajasthan are stumbling backward after a recent loss to Delhi. Meanwhile, five-time champions Chennai Super Kings possess the ultimate championship DNA required for a late-season crunch in India.
Backed by home comforts and a balanced bowling unit featuring breakout star Anshul Kamboj, CSK are primed to peak at the perfect moment. They are heavily tipped to snatch fourth place away from the fading Kings and edge out Rajasthan on NRR.
As for the rest, the Kolkata Knight Riders retain a mathematical whisper on 11 points, but it would require an improbable matrix of external results to save them.
At the absolute bottom of the ladder, the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are already packing their bags, officially eliminated after disastrous, disjointed campaigns.
The table is set, the margins are razor-thin, and the final eight matches promise absolute theatre.
Read next: The next big thing? Five uncapped IPL stars set to dominate in the future
The post Who will finish in IPL’s top 4? 7 teams competing for 3 play-off places appeared first on Cricket365.
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