The Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 has been one of the most exciting editions so far. It has almost reached the business end of the tournament, but no one knows yet which four teams among the top six in the table currently will make it to the Playoff stages.
There are six matches to be played till Sunday in the league stage and then the top four teams will have their chances to battle it out for a place in the big final. These six matches are as follows:
1. Mumbai Indians (MI) Vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
3. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) Vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
4. Rajasthan Royals (RR) Vs Kolkata Knight Riders
5. Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Delhi Daredevils (DD)
6. Sunrisers Hyderabad Vs Mumbai Indians
Now depending on these six matches, four teams among the top six will make it to the playoff stages, as DD and KXIP are already out of contention.
Let us have a look at the teams, their current standing and scenarios under which they can make it to the Playoffs:
#Chennai Super Kings - CSK have won eight out of the 13 matches (16 points) they have played so far and have virtually qualified for the Playoffs. Even if they suffer a loss against KXIP, they will make it, as they have a good positive net run rate. But if they lose, they might not get a place in the top two positions in the standings, which will mean they will have only one chance to qualify for the Finals.
#Kolkata Knight Riders - KKR still have two matches under their belt and they have already secured 15 points from 12 matches. KKR would look to kill two birds with one stone on Thursday. If they beat MI, they will secure a place in the playoffs and also virtually eliminate MI from the race.
#Sunrisers Hyderabad - SRH have 14 points from 12 matches and are one of strong contenders for the Playoffs. If they win their last two matches against RCB and MI, they will cruise to the Playoffs, but if they win one and lose the other, they will have to wait for results of other matches and mathematical calculations of the net run rates and points.
#Rajasthan Royals - They have 14 points from 13 games. Their last game against KKR will virtually be a knockout one. If they lose, they will have to pray that SRH and MI lose their remaining games.
#Royal Challengers Bangalore - RCB have 13 points in 12 matches. Fortunately, they still have two more games against SRH and DD. If they win both then they will be through to the playoffs. If they win one and lose the other, they will have to depend on the results of other matches. If they lose both, then they will be knocked out of the race.
#Mumbai Indians - MI so far have 12 points from 12 games. A loss against KKR on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will put to waste a remarkable turnaround. If they lose against KKR, they will have to pray that RCB win their remaining games and KKR beat RR. In that case, the last game of the league stages of the IPL 2015 between SRH and MI will be a knockout.
