17 May,2023 07:04 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondent
LSG`s Krunal Pandya (C) celebrates with teammates after beating MI by 5 runs (Pic: AFP)
Mohsin Khan, who missed the whole of the domestic season due to a shoulder injury, helped Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) take a major step towards a top-four finish by keeping their nerves of steel in the final over. Mumbai Indians too remain in contention for a play-off spot despite the loss.
There are overall 15 matches left to be played in the league stage, but we are still not sure what the final complexion of the play-offs will look like. Defending champions Gujarat Titans became the first team to seal a place in the play-offs of the ongoing edition with a convincing 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. After LSG secured a comfortable win over Mumbai on Tuesday to strengthen their chances for a last-four finish, as many as seven teams are still in contention for the remaining three positions.
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Despite being plagued by injuries throughout the tournament every now and then, CSK managed to secure 15 points from 13 games and have to win their upcoming match against DC for a playoff berth. If they lose, either Mumbai Indians or Lucknow Super Giants will have to lose both of their remaining two matches, or RCB and PBKS will need to lose at least one of their last two games.
With 14 points from 13 games, Rohit Sharma & Co. have only one match remaining in the tournament and need to win it by a massive margin to secure a spot in Qualifier 1. In case MI lose, their fate will be determined by how other teams fare in their matches. For instance, if RCB lose their remaining matches, RR and KKR lose their second match, and PBKS defeat RR while also losing DC, MI could qualify based on the net run rate. In case they win against SRH, CSK must lose to DC or LSG, RCB, and PBKS must lose their two remaining matches.
Also Read: Can Mumbai Indians qualify for IPL 2023 playoffs? A look at possible scenarios
Currently third in the points table with 15 points, LSG have made a promising start to their IPL 2023 campaign. With one more match to go, the team will be looking to build on their winning momentum and secure a place in the playoffs. Things will get tricky in the points table if they lose their last league match as that would leave as many as five teams with 16 points or more.
With 12 points from 12 games, RCB will need to win their remaining two games to secure a spot in the playoffs. They will almost seal a last-four berth if they win both the upcoming matches, of course, unless PBKS win both games by huge margins, and LSG win their last two games. If RCB win only one, MI must lose both of their remaining fixtures, PBKS must lose against DC, and RR and KKR must also lose their respective last game.
Rajasthan Royals need to win their upcoming match against PBKS to confirm a playoff berth. Despite winning, it could see RR not qualifying for playoffs. Should this be the case, Mumbai must lose their last two matches, with a net run rate battle looming against RCB and PBKS, provided they win one of their last two matches.
With two games remaining in the tournament, PBKS will need to win both to secure their spot in the playoffs. If they beat RR and lose to DC, MI must lose both matches, KKR must lose their second match, and RCB must lose at least one of the two matches by a massive margin. However, if they win both, LSG and RCB must lose both their matches, and only then can they qualify.
