IPL 8: Chennai Super Kings Through to Play-Offs, Five-Way Battle for Three Play-off Berths
Chennai Super Kings are the first to enter the last-four of the IPL 2015. Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals are competing for the three remaining play-offs berths.
With IPL 2015 at its business-end, the race for the play-offs berths has intensified. After five weeks of battle between bat and ball, Chennai Super Kings are the only team assured of a spot in the last-four. The two-time champions, who have won eight and lost five of their 13 matches, are the only team to have made the knockout stages in all eight editions.(IPL 2015: Full Coverage)
Two other teams, Delhi Daredevils (P: 13; W: 5; L: 8; NRR: - 0.049; Pts: 10) and Kings XI Punjab (P: 13; W: 3; L: 10; Pts: 6; NRR: -1.425) are already out of contention for the last-four berths leaving defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore fighting for the remaining three slots.
Here are the possible scenarios (as of Friday, May 15):
Chennai Super Kings: (P: 13; W: 8; L: 5; Pts: 16) - With 16 points from 13 matches, they are comfortably placed at the top of the points table and they will remain No.1 if they beat last year's runners-up Kings XI Punjab in their final match in Mohali on Saturday.
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Kolkata Knight Riders: (P: 13, W: 7; L: 5; N/R: 1; Pts: 15) - Gautam Gambhir's men were on a roll, winning three successive matches in a span of 10 days. To qualify for the playoffs, KKR had to win only one of their two remaining encounters. But after a narrow defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, KKR's last game against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday in Mumbai is a virtual quarter-final.
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Rajasthan Royals: (P: 13; W: 6; L: 5; N/R: 2, Pts: 14) - Rajasthan Royals, who have shown usual spunk, are now left with the daunting prospect of a must-win game against KKR. If they do lose at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday, the Royals can bid goodbye to their title hopes this year.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad: (P: 12, W: 7; L: 5; Pts: 14) - Out of the remaining teams grappling for a place in the knockouts, Sunrisers Hyderabad are the most comfortably placed. They have two remaining games - against Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 15) and Mumbai Indians (May 17) - and a win in any one would see them through, with 16 points in the bag.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore: (P: 12; W: 6; L: 5; N/R: 1, Pts: 13) - Royal Challengers Bangalore's shock defeat to Kings XI Punjab in a rain-curtailed match has further complicated their equations. Virat Kohli's men have two games remaining. They simply need to beat SRH and Delhi Daredevils (May 17) in order to cruise through. But if they lose against Hyderabad on Friday, they will need to beat Delhi by a heavy margin and hope other results work in their favour.
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Mumbai Indians: (P: 13; W: 7; L: 6; Pts: 14) - After a horrid start to their campaign, Mumbai Indians made a strong comeback, winning five matches on-the-trot. They have inched closer to a play-offs spot after their defeating KKR by five runs. All they need to do now is overcome Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last group encounter on Sunday.
© BCCI