OPINION
Follow UsThe Indian Premier League is heading into the business end, and it is fair to say that the race for the final four spots is heating up as the days progress.
With the teams done more than half of their league matches, we take a look at the qualification scenarios for each franchise ahead of the weekend blockbuster.
While this is a detailed analysis of the teams and the way ahead for them in the extravaganza, we have not taken the Net Run Rate into consideration and will only dive deep into how the results of each of their encounters can affect their fortunes in the competition.
Gujarat Titans
Matches - 8 | Wins - 7 | Losses - 1 | Points - 14 | Qualification probability - 98%
The newly-introduced franchise, Gujarat Titans, have taken this edition of the competition by storm by winning seven out of their eight league matches.
Despite being in challenging situations in most of their clashes, Gujarat have found match-winners in every game, making them one of the favourites to lift the coveted trophy.
Historically, for a team to qualify for the playoffs, they need to get to a minimum of 16 points, and the Titans are one step closer to sealing their place in the final four.
With momentum on their side, they can also look to consolidate their place in the top two of the points table, giving them two opportunities to reach the finale.
Rajasthan Royals
Matches - 8 | Wins - 6 | Losses - 2 | Points - 12 | Qualification probability - 89%
After a lukewarm campaign in the last edition, Rajasthan Royals have been one of the most consistent sides in the competition and won six out of their eight games played thus far.
While all the attention and focus has been on the scintillating form of Jos Buttler, the Royals have been the only team that has mastered the art of defending totals courtesy of the exploits of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.
With 12 points, Rajasthan needs to win two out of their remaining six games to record eight wins and confirm their place in the final four.
Lucknow Super Giants
Matches - 9 | Wins - 6 | Losses - 3 | Points - 12 | Qualification probability - 75%
A win against Punjab Kings has propelled the Lucknow Super Giants to their sixth win out of the nine games and are currently third in the points table.
With KL Rahul at the helm, Super Giants started the league with a loss to the Titans but bounced back by winning their next three games.
The Super Giants have 12 points and need to win two out of their remaining five fixtures to cement their place in the playoffs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Matches - 8 | Wins - 5 | Losses - 3 | Points - 10 | Qualification probability - 74%
With a reset owing to a horrendous campaign last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been the surprise package for most of the fans this year.
Under the astute leadership of Kane Williamson, the Orange Army recorded five consecutive wins before the upset against Gujarat.They are currently fourth on the points table with 10 points.
In six league matches, they need to record three wins to get to 16 points to secure their place in the playoffs. However, they will be up against formidable oppositions, starting with their league game against Chennai on 1st May at Pune.
Over the years, the Sunrisers have a proven formula of restricting the opposition to a modest total and pace their run chase according to the total.
With the toss not being in control, they will have to find a way to set up a daunting total in the first innings to challenge the opposition.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Matches - 9 | Wins - 5 | Losses - 4 | Points - 10 | Qualification probability - 16%
Royal Challengers Bangalore have had a statutory season. They started on a high with winning five of their first seven games but have suffered two thumping defeats.
The ardent fans of the franchise would want to erase Bangalore’s game against Sunrisers from their memory when the Men in Red were bundled out of 68 runs. This was followed by the lowest total defended this season by Rajasthan in Bangalore’s last game.
While the Bangalore outfit would need three out of their five games to reach the playoffs, their horrific loss against the Sunrisers dented their Net Run Rate.
In case of multiple teams finishing on 16 points, the Challengers will need to also work on their Net Run Rate since it can boil down to the fine margins in deciding the final four.
Delhi Capitals
Matches - 8 | Wins - 4 | Losses - 4 | Points - 8 | Qualification probability - 41%
Under Rishabh Pant, Delhi have managed to win four out of their eight matches and will need to win four out of their last six games.
After a series of defeats, the Capitals found their mojo in the last game against the Knight Riders and will aim to continue their run, starting with an afternoon encounter against the Super Giants on Sunday, 1st May.
The positive for the Capitals is that their Net Run Rate is the best in the league and will only improve with victories.
Punjab Kings
Matches - 9 | Wins - 4 | Losses - 5 | Points - 8 | Qualification probability - 5%
After starting the series with an emphatic win against the Royals Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings have blown hot and cold in the tournament.
While their approach in the first half of the tournament raised plenty of eyebrows, they tweaked their style of play against Chennai Super Kings, which yielded massive results.
However, chasing a modest total of 154 runs, Punjab stumbled in the run chase to slump to their fifth defeat of the season and face an uphill task of qualifying for the final four.
They will need to win four of the five games in order to stake a claim for a place in the playoffs.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Matches - 9 | Wins - 3 | Losses - 6 | Points - 6 | Qualification probability - 1%
With five consecutive losses in the lead up to their next fixture against Rajasthan Royals on Monday 2nd May, Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the Wankhede Stadium with their fortunes hanging by a thread.
The Boys in Purple and Gold will need to win all their five matches to stand a chance of qualifying in the top four of the competition. While they have a history of turning things around after a sedate start, the Knight Riders will have their task cut out as they are yet to finalise on their combinations have been plagued by the lack of consistency in the batting unit.
Chennai Super Kings
Matches - 8 | Wins - 2 | Losses - 6 | Points - 4 | Qualification probability - 0%
The defending champions under Ravindra Jadeja have been struggling to find form in the tournament and have managed only two wins in their eight games.
While their qualification chances are bleak, to say the least, Chennai need to win all their remaining games by comprehensive margins to reach 16 points and also improve on their run rate.
Mumbai Indians
Matches - 8 | Wins - 0 | Losses - 8 | Points - 0 | Qualification probability - 0%
Mumbai Indians have endured a season to forget, and the team would be keen to erase the scars of the first eight matches and start fresh in the remaining six league games.
The five-time champions have lost eight successive games, making it the first instance of a team losing the first eight matches in the history of the tournament.
While they are virtually knocked out of this season owing to a string of defeats, the Rohit-Sharma led outfit will aim to fire all guns blazing in their remaining six fixtures and salvage some pride after a dismal season.
