Defending champions Gujarat Titans became the first team to seal a place in the play-offs of the ongoing edition with a convincing 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday
There are overall 15 matches left to be played in the league stage, but we are still not sure what the final complexion of the play-offs will look like (Pic: AFP)
Be it scintillating maximums, unrivalled bowling depth, or effortless fielding, the 15th edition of the IPL 2023 has been definitely one to savour. There are overall 15 matches left to be played in the league stage, but we are still not sure what the final complexion of the play-offs will look like. Defending champions Gujarat Titans became the first team to seal a place in the play-offs of the ongoing edition with a convincing 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
As things stand, one team is sure to top the group stage, another is sure to finish either sole second or joint second and five are definitely out of the play-offs, leaving three teams contending for the remaining two slots. After the conclusion of the league stage on May 21, the four teams will travel to the two cities, where the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator will be played at Chepauk on May 23 and 24, while the world's largest cricket stadium, in Ahmedabad, will conduct the Qualifier 2 and the Final on May 26 and 28.
After 62 games over the past 50 days, Gujarat Giants are seated atop the table with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians trailing them at second and third respectively. While Lucknow Super Giants are ahead in the race with 13 points, the battle for the fourth spot continues to intensify with four teams sharing 12 points, i.e., Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Punjab Kings. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals meanwhile, have been eliminated.
Chennai Super Kings
Despite being plagued by injuries throughout the tournament every now and then, CSK managed to secure 15 points from 13 games and have to win their upcoming match against DC for a playoff berth. If they lose, either Mumbai Indians or Lucknow Super Giants will have to lose both of their remaining two matches, or RCB and PBKS will need to lose at least one of their last two games.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 20: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings at 3:30 PM
Past performances: Four-time champions CSK ended the last season in the ninth position.
No. of times Qualified for Playoffs: 11 out of 13
Best Result: Winner (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021)
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai made a dramatic jump to the third spot after Suryakumar's 35-ball-83 and Nehal Wadhera's unbeaten 52 helped the hosts outshine a misfiring Bangalore side on Tuesday. With 14 points from 12 games, Rohit Sharma & Co. have two games remaining in the tournament and need to win both more to secure a spot in Qualifier 1. In case MI lose both, their fate will be determined by how other teams fare in their matches. For instance, if RCB lose their remaining matches, RR and KKR lose their second match, and PBKS defeat RR while also losing DC, MI could qualify based on the net run rate. In case they win only one of the two matches, CSK must lose to DC or LSG, RCB, and PBKS must lose their two remaining matches.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 16: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians at 7:30 PM
- May 21: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at 3:30 PM
Past performances: Five-time champions Mumbai finished last in IPL 2022.
No. of times qualified for Playoffs: 9 out of 15
Best Result: Winner (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Also Read: IPL 2023: Complete list of Impact Players used in this season so far
Lucknow Super Giants
Currently fourth in the points table with 13 points, LSG have made a promising start to their IPL 2023 campaign. With two more matches to go, the team will be looking to build on their winning momentum and secure a place in the play-offs. They will be eliminated if they lose both matches, and if they win only one, the side can only qualify if CSK lose to DC, or, RCB and PBKS lose one of their remaining games.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 16: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians at 7:30 PM
- May 20: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants at 7:30 PM
Past performances: Like Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants too made their appearance in the last season but finished fourth.
No. of times Qualified for Playoffs: 1 out of 1
Best Result: 4th (2022)
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB has been facing some challenges in their bowling unit due to the absence of Josh Hazlewood, and the departure of Reece Topley has only worsened matters. In terms of batting, only a few top-order batters, including Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell, have been performing well, while the rest are yet to deliver on the biggest stage. With 12 points from 12 games, RCB will need to win their remaining two games to secure a spot in the play-offs. They will almost seal a last-four berth if they win both the upcoming matches, of course, unless PBKS win both games by huge margins, and LSG win their last two games. If RCB win only one, MI must lose both of their remaining fixtures, PBKS must lose against DC, and RR and KKR must also lose their respective last game.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 18: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore at 7:30 PM
- May 21: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Titans at 7:30 PM
Past performances: Royal Challengers is also one among the three teams who are still awaiting their maiden trophy. The side finished third last year.
No. of times qualified for Playoffs: 8 out of 15
Best Result: 0
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals' sudden loss of form could really hurt them as they now have six wins and as many defeats in the ongoing edition. They need to win their upcoming match against RR to confirm a playoff berth. Despite winning, it could see PBKS not qualifying for playoffs. Should this be the case, Mumbai must lose their last two matches, with a net run rate battle looming against RCB and PBKS, provided they win one of their last two matches.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 19: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals at 7:30 PM
Past performances: The inaugural edition winner Royals finished as the runner-up last year.
No. of times Qualified for Playoffs: 5 out of 13
Best Result: Winner (2008)
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR has had a bittersweet performance throughout IPL 2023 and has several gaps to fill. Although the absence of Shreyas Iyer presents a challenge, players like Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer have stepped up on several occasions. Despite their valiant efforts, KKR has only managed to secure 12 points from 13 games, and will need to win their upcoming match against LSG by a good margin to secure a spot in the play-offs.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 20: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants at 7:30 PM
Past performances: The Knights finished seventh in the last season.
No. of times qualified for Playoffs: 7 out of 15
Best Result: Winner (2012, 2014)
Punjab Kings
Losing Jonny Bairstow was a significant setback for the team, and to make matters even worse, both Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone are currently recovering from injuries. With two games remaining in the tournament, PBKS will need to win both to secure their spot in the play-offs. If they beat RR and lose to DC, MI must lose both matches, KKR must lose their second match, and RCB must lose at least one of the two matches by a massive margin. However, if they win both, LSG and RCB must lose both their matches, and only then can they qualify.
Remaining Fixtures:
- May 17: Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals at 7:30 PM
- May 19: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals at 7:30 PM
Past performances: Punjab Kings, who have been struggling to lay hands on the IPL Trophy since 2008, finished sixth last year. It is the only active team to have the lowest appearance in the IPL playoffs so far.
No. of times Qualified for Playoffs: 2 out of 15
Best Result: Runner-up (2014)
Also Read: PBKS vs DC, IPL 2023: Punjab Kings eye big win against Delhi to keep play-off hopes alive
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
