The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season is heading towards the knockout stages of the tournament. Only Gujarat Titans have managed to secure the playoff berth so far with 20 points in their kitty.
For the remaining three spots, excluding Mumbai Indians and Chennai Supers Kings, who have been eliminated, the other seven teams, are in a tough race for the qualifiers. Some need just one win to advance to the next round, while teams’ fortune depends on others.
Let’s take a look at the points table to understand where the teams stand in the tournament at the moment:
| Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT (Q) | 13 | 10 | 3 | 20 | 0.391 |
| RR | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.304 |
| LSG | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.262 |
| DC | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0.255 |
| RCB | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | -0.323 |
| KKR | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 0.160 |
| PBKS | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | -0.043 |
| SRH | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.270 |
| CSK | 13 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -0.206 |
| MI | 12 | 3 | 9 | 6 | -0.613 |
The qualification scenario for the seven teams is as follows:
Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants
Remaining fixtures:
Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, May 18
Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, May 20
The Rajasthan Royals are almost in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. They won their recent match against the Lucknow Super Giants to jump to the second spot. The Sanju Samson-led team needs to win its upcoming fixture against the Chennai Super Kings to advance to the next round.
Given their NRR, which is better than most teams, even if Rajasthan loses against Chennai, they need to ensure it is not a heavy defeat. For either the Rajasthan Royals or the Lucknow Super Giants to get knocked out, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals need to win their remaining matches, with both LSG and RR losing theirs. In this case, the teams will be tied on 16 points, bringing the NRR into play.
Royal Challengers Bangalore has a negative NRR and needs to win by 80 runs and would need Rajasthan to lose by the same margin. For Bangalore to go past Lucknow’s NRR, the winning margin for them and the losing margin for Lucknow should be 75 runs.
Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore
Remaining fixtures:
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Titans, May 19
Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, May 21
The Delhi Capitals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore are sailing in a similar boat. However, Delhi Capitals’ NRR provides them an edge over the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Rishabh Pant-led team needs to win their final fixture to secure a playoff spot. They can also be in the top two, if Rajasthan and Lucknow lose their final match, with Delhi winning theirs.
If the Delhi Capitals lose, they will need Gujarat Titans to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their upcoming clash. In this case, Delhi Capitals’ NRR will see them through. On the other hand, a 54-run loss against the Punjab Kings has hampered Bangalore’s chances. Their negative NRR of -0.323 may cost them the playoffs berth.
To qualify without hassle, Delhi needs to lose against Mumbai, with Bangalore winning against Gujarat Titans. However, if Delhi wins, Bangalore would need a win by around 80 runs or around 10 overs to spare. A loss against Gujarat will most likely end their campaign.
Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad
Remaining fixtures:
Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, May 17
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, May 18
Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, May 22
All three teams Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, and the Punjab Kings can get to a maximum of 14 points. To qualify, these teams need to win their remaining fixtures to get to 14 points. Along with that, Bangalore and Delhi lose their upcoming fixtures. This will result in a maximum of four teams at 14 points, with NRR coming into play. The Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers match on May 22 will be the end of the tournament for the losing side.
Among these three only Kolkata has a positive NRR and has the best chance of qualifying. For them to qualify, they will need Delhi to lose by 12 runs, (provided that they are chasing 180) and win their game by the same margin.
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