The SunRisers Hyderabad secured their spot in the 2024 Indian Premier League playoffs on Thursday after their match against the Gujarat Titans was washed out due to rain. The Pat Cummins-led side sits at 15 points from 13 games, joining the Kolkata Knight Riders (19 points, 13 games) and Rajasthan Royals (16 points, 13 games) in the top four. SRH has one remaining match against the Punjab Kings on Sunday.
Three Teams Vie for Final Playoff Spot
With three spots already filled, the remaining playoff berth is a battle between the Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants. However, the realistic contenders are CSK and RCB, with LSG needing an unlikely series of events to qualify.
Chennai Super Kings (14 points, 13 games, NRR +0.528)
- Remaining Matches: 1 (vs. RCB)
- The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK is in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot. A win against RCB on Saturday confirms their place.
- CSK can also dream of a top-two finish if both Rajasthan and SRH lose their final matches and CSK has a superior net run rate.
- Even a loss to RCB can see them qualify, provided the margin is small enough to maintain a better NRR than RCB.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (12 points, 13 games, NRR +0.387)
- Remaining Matches: 1 (vs. CSK)
- Faf du Plessis' RCB needs a victory in their final game to have a chance at the playoffs. Moreover, the win must be convincing to ensure a better net run rate than CSK.
Lucknow Super Giants (12 points, 13 games, NRR -0.787)
- Remaining Matches: 1 (vs. MI)
- KL Rahul's LSG faces a near-impossible scenario. Qualification requires a massive win in their final match, followed by an RCB win over CSK with a small margin. This combination would need to drastically improve their net run rate compared to both CSK and R RCB.
Delhi Capitals Eliminated
- Matches Played: 14
- The Delhi Capitals are officially out of contention as they have exhausted their schedule.
