IPL 2023: MI, RCB can still make it to playoffs

Lucknow Super Giants‘ triumph over Mumbai Indians in their final home fixture has bolstered their position in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) standings. A victory at Eden Gardens against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday would secure LSG a coveted Play-Off spot, with the potential for a top-two finish if Chennai Super Kings either succumb to Delhi Capitals or secure a victory with an inferior Net Run Rate (NRR) compared to Lucknow.

However, should Lucknow stumble against KKR, they would require at least two of CSK, MI, and RCB to remain below the 15-point threshold in order to advance.

The teams who can still make it to IPL 2023 playoffs

In a parallel scenario, if Chennai Super Kings prevail against Delhi Capitals by a margin of 20 runs after amassing a total of 170, Lucknow would need to triumph by approximately 40 runs to surpass Chennai on NRR and secure a top-two finish.

Conversely, if Chennai succumb to Delhi by 30 runs after posting a score of 170, Lucknow would need to suffer a defeat by 12 runs or fewer against Kolkata Knight Riders to maintain a superior NRR over Chennai and progress to the playoffs. It is worth noting that Lucknow will have the advantage of knowing the precise NRR equation as they play their final league match after Chennai Super Kings. This timely information will enable them to strategize effectively.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, Lucknow faces Kolkata Knight Riders on May 2, while Mumbai Indians’ prospects have improved following their setback against Lucknow, thanks to Punjab Kings’ defeat to Delhi Capitals.

Nonetheless, Mumbai still faces the possibility of elimination even if they emerge victorious in their last game. If both Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow secure triumphs in their respective final league matches, and Royal Challengers Bangalore emerge victorious in both of their encounters, Mumbai are highly likely to fall short on NRR in comparison to Royal Challengers Bangalore, even if they conquer Sunrisers Hyderabad in their remaining fixture.

To surpass Royal Challengers Bangalore on NRR, Mumbai would need to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by approximately 80 runs if Royal Challengers Bangalore secure a combined margin of victory of just 10 runs in their last two matches. The best-case scenario for Mumbai is to triumph over Sunrisers Hyderabad and accumulate 16 points while hoping that no more than two of Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow, and Royal Challengers Bangalore emerge victorious in all of their remaining games.

In the event that MI succumb to SRH and finds themselves on 14 points, they would require Royal Challengers Bangalore to suffer a significant defeat in at least one match, resulting in a drop in their NRR below that of Mumbai.

In terms of CSK, their progress was temporarily halted following their unexpected defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, as four-time champions, their fate still lies in their own hands. A victory against Delhi Capitals in their final league match would guarantee them a Play-Off spot and most likely a top-two finish, given their superior NRR in comparison to Lucknow, who could potentially tie with them on 17 points. If Chennai Super Kings fall to the Delhi Capitals, they would need no more than two of Lucknow, Royal Challengers Bangalore, or Mumbai Indians to outperform them in order to secure their progression.

Meanwhile, RCB received a much-needed boost to their faltering campaign with a resounding 112-run victory in Jaipur. Not only did this result keep their hopes of finishing on 16 points alive, but it also elevated their NRR from -0.345 to +0.166. By clinching victories in their last two matches, they can secure their qualification with relative certainty, given the progress they have made in terms of their NRR. If they manage to secure only one victory