Race to Playoffs
It is quite remarkable that after 59 matches in IPL 2024’s group stage, none of the teams have managed to earn a ‘Q’ next to their name, indicating their qualification for the next round. MI and PBKS have already been eliminated with two matches left to play, while the other eight teams are still in the running to progress, although they face varying degrees of difficulty.
The points table was updated after GT’s victory over CSK in Ahmedabad on Friday, and here is how it currently stands:
| POS | TEAM | P | W | L | NRR | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KKR | 11 | 8 | 3 | 1.453 | 16 |
| 2 | RR | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0.476 | 16 |
| 3 | SRH | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0.406 | 14 |
| 4 | CSK | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0.491 | 12 |
| 5 | DC | 12 | 6 | 6 | -0.316 | 12 |
| 6 | LSG | 12 | 6 | 6 | -0.769 | 12 |
| 7 | RCB | 12 | 5 | 7 | -0.217 | 10 |
| 8 | GT | 12 | 5 | 7 | -1.063 | 10 |
| 9 | MI | 12 | 4 | 8 | -0.212 | 8 |
| 10 | PBKS | 12 | 4 | 8 | -0.423 | 8 |
Now let’s take a look at what each team needs to do to qualify.
16 points: KKR & RR
Both KKR and RR are currently leading the points table and have already secured a spot in the playoffs. If they win any of their remaining three matches, they will confirm their place in the playoffs. If they manage to win two, it will assure them of a ticket to Qualifier 1 as no other team can go beyond 18 points. The two teams will face off in their final league game, and one of them will definitely reach 18 points. Even if the losing team ends up with 16 points, they still have a chance to go through to the playoffs as long as their Net Run Rate (NRR) doesn’t take a massive hit with three back-to-back defeats.
14 points: SRH
The thumping victory over LSG on Wednesday has put SRH’s flailing campaign back on track, as well as their net run rate (NRR). If they win both of their remaining matches, they are assured of qualification and even have a distant shot at a top-two finish. However, even one win should mostly be enough for SRH if they do not lose the other game by a large margin, as their current NRR reads a comfortable +0.406. In fact, they can even qualify with two defeats if they have a better NRR than other teams that also reach 14 points, provided that either CSK loses one game or the winner of DC vs LSG loses their other fixture.
12 points: CSK, DC & LSG
Three teams – CSK, DC, and LSG – are currently tied on 12 points each from as many games, separated only by NRR. CSK has a better position on NRR (+0.491) compared to DC (-0.316) and LSG (-0.769). They also have slightly easier fixtures, with one at home (against RR) and another against a side and venue which they have traditionally dominated (RCB at Chinnaswamy). If CSK wins both matches, they will secure a Play-Off berth on points provided either SRH drops both their remaining matches or the winner of the DC vs LSG game loses their other fixture. Otherwise, it could come down to an NRR shootout between two or three teams on 16 points (CSK, winner of DC vs LSG and SRH if they win only one) and in which CSK are well placed on NRR which should get a further boost on two more wins.
DC and LSG face off against each other on Tuesday (May 8), which means only one of them can get to 16 points at best. Given both DC and LSG have NRR in arrears, the best-case scenario for them would be to win both matches and reach 16 points and hope at most one among SRH or CSK gets to 16 points. Theoretically, they can go through with 14 points also but that looks unlikely given how things are currently placed.
10 points: RCB & GT
There are two teams that have a slim chance of making it to the playoffs. To do so, they must win their remaining two games, which will give them 14 points. Additionally, they need to hope that at least two of the following teams – SRH, CSK, and the winner of DC vs LSG – don’t exceed 14 points. If this happens, up to six teams can be tied on 14 points, and the decision will be based on the Net Run Rate (NRR). However, GT has the worst NRR reading of -1.063, making it difficult for them to reach positive territory. Even if both RCB and GT reach 14 points, they can still be knocked out if SRH beats PBKS and LSG beats both DC and MI.
PC: Cricbuzz
