IPL 2021 second leg has started, and Chennai Super Kings stands tall, dominating in all their games and cemented their place in the playoffs.
They are followed by Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are fighting for 2nd place and are just a win away from qualifying in the playoffs.
While there’s a fight between Kolkata Knight Riders and Defending Champions Mumbai Indians for 4th position at the times table, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals are still in the playoff race, but they have to win every single fixture moving forward.
Sunrisers Hyderabad is disqualified from the playoffs unless a miracle saves them.
Here’s how teams look at the points table and what they need to do to qualify.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK)
CSK retain their top spot at the points table with 18 points in 11 games and are the first to qualify for the playoffs. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 44 of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in Sharjah on Thursday.
After keeping things tight with the ball to limit SRH to 134/9, CSK chased down the target in 19.4 overs & with six wickets in hand to register their ninth win of the season. CSK is comfortable at the top with all boxes ticked in every department being the most formidable league team so far, and are strong favourites to win the IPL 2021.
DELHI CAPITALS (DC)
DC is at 2nd position at the points table with 18 points in 12 games and is one win away from assuring their spot at the playoff. However, DC was defeated by KKR at their last outing, and they will be eager to bounce back against MI.
DC has had a good season so far and has a positive net run rate. They just have a minor worry when it comes to their middle-order batters. With Shreyas Iyer finding some form, it is a massive boost in the DC camp.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
RCB is at 3rd at the table with 14 points in 11 games. RCB started in UAE by losing 2 consecutive matches. However, they bounced back with three successive wins.
RCB has momentum and is looking strong to seal their place at the top 4 in IPL 2021. RCB’S bowling has been impressive, with Harshal Patel holding the purple cap of their bowling attack.
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR)
KKR is 4th at the table with 10 points from 12 matches. KKR started their UAE leg on fire with two consecutive wins.
They have found a huge positive in Venkatesh Iyer and are looking really comfortable and confident as a squad. However, they still have to win all their remaining games to qualify for playoffs as they didn’t have an excellent first half of IPL.
PUNJAB KINGS (PBKS)
PBKS are 5th at the table with 10 points from 12 matches. It has been an unfortunate season for the KL Rahul men, as most of their games have gone down to the wire.
PKBS is yet to find the right combination and is still finding the right balance for the squad. They need to win all their remaining games with a good net run rate to make it to the playoffs in IPL 2021.
MUMBAI INDIANS (MI)
MI is 6th at the table with 10 points in 12 matches. MI has struggled right from the start of the tournament and is yet to find the momentum. They started their UAE leg with three consecutive losses. Their batting has been an issue; middle-order batters are struggling with form.
But considering what they have done in the past, you just can’t rule out MI. They need to win their remaining games to make it to the playoffs with a good margin as they have a poor net run rate.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR)
RR is 7th at the table with 8 points in 11 matches. RR went through a huge loss with ben stokes ruled out. Since then, they are yet to find a comfortable playing 11.
RR has a poor net run rate and is unlikely to make it to the playoffs, but IPL is unpredictable. They have to win all their remaining games with a good net run rate to make it to the playoffs.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (SRH)
SRH is at the bottom of the table with 4 points in 11 matches. It has been a forgettable season for SRH.
SRH never looked comfortable in any department; removing David Warner and then dropping him from the squad didn’t work out for them either.
They are officially out of the playoff’s race but can spoil the party for other teams.
This is why IPL is known as the best cricketing league worldwide. The competition is so tough with every game and decision going down to the wire. With playoffs approaching, things will only get interesting.
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