What MI's IPL playoff chances look like after humbling ten-run defeat to Delhi?

All of 22 Jake FraserMcGurk produced a powerhitting master class as Delhi Capitals kept themselves in the race for IPL 2024 playoffs with a nailbiting tenrun win over Mumbai Indians on SaturdayBringing his bighitting prowess to the fore young McGurk gave the scorching Delhi heat competition with a sizzling 27ball 84 powering DC to a massive 257 for four after being asked to batTilak Varma 63 and Hardik Pandya 46 played some lofty shots to give MI a glimmer of hope but Delhi bowlers led by Rasikh Salam 334 kept striking at regular intervals to stop MI at 247 for 9The win elevated DC to the fifth spot while MI continued to occupy the penultimate placeWhile McGurk sparkled upfront Tristan Stubbs dazzled with an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls at the death overs as DC put up a superlative batting effort to register their highestever score in IPLIn reply MIs script didnt go as per plan as Khaleel Ahmed drew first blood in the form of Rohit Sharma 8With more than 250 runs to score MI batters had to go from the word go and that led to Ishan Kishan 20 and Suryakumar Yadavs 26 wicketsThree wickets down and the required run rate increasing Pandya took things in his own hands plundering 19 runs of the ninth over by DCs star spinner Kuldeep YadavHe punched three fours before launching the ball for a towering six over long on Tilak Varma joined in with a boundary and a six off Axar Patel as the duo stitched a 71run standBut Impact Player Salam not only broke the partnership claiming Pandyas wicket but also got rid of Nehal Wadhera in the same over Varma then found an ally in Tim David but he was run out in the final overAlso ReadRahulSamsons fight for WC spot continues as LSG to clash with tabletoppers RREarlier opening for DC for the second time this season the 22yearold FraserMcGurk equalled his own record for the fastest fifty this season getting the milestone off just 15 balls after the hosts were put in to bat by MIWith McGurk in the middle it was raining boundaries and sixes at the rather small Arun Jaitley Stadium He hit 11 fours and six maximums He got 19 runs off the first over bowled by Luke Wood setting the tone as he skilfully exploited the field restrictions in the powerplay to nab 92 runsFacing arguably the best bowler in the world the Australian greeted Jasprit Bumarah with a six over log on followed by a four in the second overReplacing Wood Nuwan Thushara also couldnt stop MCGurk who displayed his brute force smashing three foursWith his pacers being carted all over the park MI skipper Pandya decided to introduce spin in the form of Piyush Chawla but it hardly mattered to McGurk who struck a maximum over longon to get his third IPL fiftyMCGurk then took a special liking for Pandya as he clobbered the ball out of the park before sending one over deep midwicket as Abhishek Porel 36 had the best seat to enjoy the strokemaking standing at the other endChawla finally managed to put an end to the carnage with a googly MI dominated for a couple of overs with Mohammad Nabi picking up Porel in the 10th overBut Shai Hope 41 swung into action hitting five sixes while Rishabh Pant 29 unleashed the helicopter shot The DC skipper whipped the ball which soared over deep midwicketStubbs took DC past the 200run mark The South African continued his menacing form as he took Wood to the cleaners in the 18th over where he only dealt in boundaries The over read 4 4 6 4 4 4 However Bumrah displayed his class as he came in with a bouncer in the next over to get Pant who attempted a pull only to find Rohit at deep backward square legAre Mumbai still in the reckoning for IPL 2024 playoffsMumbais path to the playoffs now appears bleak following their defeat against Delhi With a requirement of eight victories to secure a spot in the top four Mumbai have only managed to clinch three wins thus far With five matches remaining they face a daunting task of winning all to ensure playoff qualification While a single loss is permissible the Pandyaled side must secure comprehensive victories in their remaining encounters to bolster their run rate Another defeat would render Mumbais hopes of direct qualification unattainable However in the event of a tie among multiple teams for the fourth slot Mumbai could still advance based on their superior run rate