Most experts agree that the first goal is 16 points because that ensures qualification for the play-offs; then you can move on to finish in the top two. As the 2020 IPL moves toward its conclusion, this theory seems accurate again.
Four teams, DC, MI, RCB and KKR, look in reasonable shape, needing two more wins from the remaining four or five group matches to reach the play-offs. The other teams, RR, SRH, KXIP and CSK, are starting to feel the pressure and need to win most or all of the remaining group matches if they are to stay alive in the competition and reach the knockout stage.
No one should think that the pool phase is done and dusted effectively.
The history of the IPL is full of teams that started slowly, experienced some disappointing and inconsistent performances early in the group stage, but then found form when it mattered, built momentum and charged in the later stages to claim the title.
Can RR, SRH, KXIP or CSK become IPL champions in 2020? Of course they can.
There is star quality and genuine depth to every team in this competition and, make no mistake, any one of the eight sides can suddenly go on a roll and sweep everyone in front of them. The difference between the teams is much smaller than the table suggests.
At RCB, we have played some decent cricket at times, but we also realize that we have won several matches that could easily have been the other way around. We are far from being complacent. We recognize the fine line between success and failure in T20 cricket.
Watch our last game against RR on Saturday. They produced a solid performance across the board and seemed to be in full control for perhaps 35 of the 40 overs, until we managed to score quickly at the rear of what turned out to be a successful chase.
That is T20 cricket. That is IPL. It is never done until it is done.
To prove the point, both matches on Sunday ended in a draw and were only decided by a super over. The quality of the cricket and the level of enthusiasm sustained at this IPL has been extraordinary; commenters are running out of adjectives.
At RCB, we simply have to stay calm and focused. KKR will be tough on Wednesday and CSK will be tough to beat on Sunday. One game at a time, one step at a time.
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