If Kings XI and Knight Riders lose the remaining two matches, they are eliminated.
With the league stage slowly moving towards its final stages at IPL 2020, we take a look at the playoff stages after Game # 46 – KXIP vs KKR, Sharjah.
Post-match point table # 46 – KXIP vs KKR, Sharjah
| Team | Mat | Won | Lost | points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | eleven | 7 | 4 | 14 | 1,252 |
| Capitals of Delhi | eleven | 7 | 4 | 14 | 0.434 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | eleven | 7 | 4 | 14 | 0.092 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | -0.049 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | -0.479 |
| Royals of Rajasthan | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.505 |
| Hyderabad sunrises | eleven | 4 | 7 | 8 | 0.029 |
| Super Kings of Chennai | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 | -0.602 |
Indians of Mumbai, Capitals of Delhi and Royal Challengers Bangalore
The three teams rank in the top three on the points table, respectively. KXIP’s victory over KKR in Sharjah means that 16 points will not secure a playoff spot for now, as up to five teams can potentially reach 16 points from now on. All three sides play against each other once and also play one match each against Sunrisers Hyderabad. If they win at least two of the remaining three games, that would secure them a place in the playoffs and possibly the top two, depending on the winning margin and how other games play out.
If Kings XI and / or Knight Riders lose at least one more match, one win should be enough to qualify for the current top three teams. The Mumbai Indians have the highest Net Running Rate (NRR) among the three teams, putting them in the best position to finish in the top two or even a place in the playoffs should a tie occur at 16 points.
Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders
The world has been turned upside down since Kings XI failed in their match against KKR in Abu Dhabi on October 10. Kings XI, then at the bottom of the points table with just one win in seven games, have joined five consecutive victories and moved to fourth place on the points table – one space just ahead of Knight Riders. Both Kings XI and Knight Riders will play the same sides in the remaining two games: Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.
If they win the remaining two games and the other teams lose at least one of their own, they qualify without NRR coming into play. If both Kings XI and Knight Riders win the remaining two games then they could be tied at 16 points and NRR would be the deciding factor unless one from Mumbai / Delhi / Bangalore loses three matches in a row.
Both Kings XI and Knight Riders can qualify with even a single win, as long as a large number of other results work in their favor. Knight Riders’ NRR is -0-479 and they could have a harder time passing the two teams if there is a tie at 14 points.
If Kings XI and Knight Riders lose the remaining two matches, they are eliminated.
Royals of Rajasthan
The Royals have two games left, against Kings XI and Knight Riders. If both win, they would be tied at 14 points with two or more sides and NRR will come into play. Having said that, the Royals’ NRR of -0.505 is the worst among teams that are still in contention and would need massive margin wins to get a higher level than other teams in contention (i.e. those teams that can go as high as 14 points).
If they lose at least one of their two remaining matches, they are eliminated, since in that case they can only get a maximum of 12 points, which will not be enough for the classification.
Hyderabad sunrises
The Sunrisers rank seventh on the points table with just four wins in seven games and a positive NRR of +0.029. They are scheduled to play on all three table tops – Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore – and two of those games will be played in Sharjah, a place that doesn’t suit your style of play. They need to win all three and hope that at least one of the teams that are in the top five on the points table will come away with 14 points or less. If the Sunrisers lose one game out of their three remaining games, they won’t be able to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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