Rain had the final say in Hyderabad on Thursday which would have perhaps been bittersweet for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The good news is that Pat Cummins and Co are now officially the third team to qualify for the playoffs this season after Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. On the flip side though, their hopes of finishing in the top two and reaching Qualifier 1 is now not in their own hands. Given SRH were playing Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings for their last two matches at home, that will be a bit of a bummer.
But with the washout in Hyderabad, we have a blockbuster weekend clash on the cards. The fourth and final playoff spot comes down to a direct shootout between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings.
Alright, what next for SRH?
SRH can still finish in the top two. They face PBKS in the penultimate fixture on Sunday afternoon. A win will take them to 17 points and into second place, which will put an out-of-form RR (16 points) under immense pressure against KKR in the final league match later that day. SRH will face KKR in Qualifier 1 if RR lose that match.
So what’s at stake in Bengaluru?
The last few days in the IPL have been dull, but in terms of sheer popcorn potential, there couldn’t have been a more exciting way to decide the fourth team. RCB vs CSK, on May 18 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB’s late resurgence has arguably the story of the season but can they pull off one more win against South Indian rivals CSK?
After languishing near the bottom of the points table in the first part of the season, RCB have turned the tide and are on 12 points with five wins on the bounce.
The win streak has propelled Faf du Plessis’ side to sixth place.
The RCB vs CSK clash is a must-win match for Bengaluru and the only way for RCB to qualify would be to beat CSK by at least 18 runs or complete a run-chase with 11 balls to spare. RCB’s NRR is +0.387, while CSK’s is +0.528. A closer win than those margins will not help RCB’s cause even as the sides finish level on points.
Can CSK qualify even if they lose?
Yes, indeed. CSK fans will be desperate to see their team return to the playoffs, and possibly play the final that is scheduled in Chennai. And all they need to do in Bengaluru is avoid a heavy defeat.
Of course, a CSK win guarantees them a spot in the playoff stage. In that case, there is also a scenario where they could even be in the top 2 – if RR (on a losing streak already) lose their last match against KKR and SRH either lose against PBKS or the game is washed out. But, it won’t be easy against a red-hot RCB, so naturally CSK fans might be wondering about worst-case scenarios. For starters, a washout on Saturday in Bengaluru is good news for CSK as that will keep RCB below them.
Otherwise, if CSK lose, they need to make sure the margin of defeat is closer than 17 runs. For instance, if RCB score 200, CSK must score at least 182. If RCB are chasing, CSK must ensure they don’t lose before 18.1 overs. (These are rough calculations, and the exact number could vary slightly based on scores).
Will it be a return to playoffs for champions CSK or can RCB turn their late rally into a serious push for the elusive title? It’s set up for a blockbuster Saturday.
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