IPL 2023 play-offs scenarios: CSK on brink of qualification, RCB hanging by a thread; how SRH still stand a chance

The Delhi Capitals became the first team to be officially knocked out of the race for the top four on Saturday after a 31-run thrashing by the Punjab Kings.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost their match on Saturday and ended up with the same number of points as DC but still have a highly improbable, but not impossible, chance at hijacking a spot in the top four.

SRH have played one less game than DC, so they still have three matches left to play this season. Wins in all three matches will take their points tally to 14, which is above the current fourth placed team LSG’s tally of 13.

Apart from this, though, they need a plethora of other results to go their way which currently seem highly unlikely.

On the other hand, the winners on Saturday, LSG and PBKS have given their chances some much needed boosts. PBKS are on 12 points and are one point behind the fourth-placed LSG. However, they are tied on points with RR, whose net run rate is now almost beyond PBKS’s reach.

CSK almost through, KKR almost out

Chennai Super Kings face the Kolkata Knight Riders in one of two matches on Sunday. They are currently on 15 points and a win here would take them to 17, which puts them out of reach for fifth-placed side Rajasthan Royals. This means that CSK could become the first team to mathematically qualify for the playoffs. On the other hand, a defeat would be curtains for KKR. They are on 10 points with this being one of two games left for them to play.

Must-win for RR, RCB on the brink

The other match of the day is between RR and RCB. If RR win, they go to 14 points which would help them jump from fifth to third because of their positive net run rate. A victory for RCB, however, will make it three sides trailing the fourth-placed by just a point, thus making it a game of NRR, where RR go into Sunday ahead of all but the top-placed Gujarat Titans. In fact, if KKR win their game against CSK and RCB beat RR, we would have the tantalising prospect of upto seven teams potentially fighting out for the last two qualification places in these remaining league games. Losses for RCB and KKR, on the other hand, narrows down the prospective final contenders potentially down to MI, LSG, RR, and PBKS.