The battle for the fourth spot in IPL 2021 has intensified with Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals still in the fray, with Punjab Kings still mathematically alive for the playoffs.
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The IPL 2021 is seen reaching the business end of the tournament. Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have sealed their spot in the playoffs. With Delhi Capitals securing a win against Chennai Super Kings, they have assured themselves a top-two finish. This means they will have two chances of reaching the final. Delhi Capitals will play their last league game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, a match important for Virat Kohli’s side as they aim a finish in the top two.
With three teams confirming their spot in the IPL 2021 playoffs, the race is on for the fourth spot. There are four teams in the fray for one spot. Although only one team is mathematically in the fray, they can still give themselves a chance if they win their last league game. Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, and Punjab Kings all are in the fray for the fourth spot in the playoff race. Here is what each team needs to do in order to seal the fourth and final spot in the playoff.
Next game: vs Rajasthan Royals
Thursday could potentially decide which team seals the fourth spot. The two doubleheaders on that day feature three out of the four sides in the race for the playoff. The equation is simple for Kolkata Knight Riders. They must win against Rajasthan Royals and hope the Royals beat Mumbai Indians. For Kolkata Knight Riders to seal the fourth spot, they have to hope that Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals win only one out of their remaining two games.
Next game: vs Chennai Super Kings
Punjab Kings are all but out of the race for the playoffs. But, mathematically, they can still make it to the playoffs. It is very complicated. They must win their next game against Chennai Super Kings by a big margin. They will have to hope that Kolkata Knight Riders lose heavily to Rajasthan Royals. Punjab Kings will benefit if the Royals lose to Mumbai Indians. Since the Net Run Rate of the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals is much worse than Punjab Kings, they will have to hope that both sides lose by small margins. They will benefit if Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders. If Punjab Kings lose to Chennai Super Kings, they are out.
Next games: vs Mumbai Indians (October 5), vs Kolkata Knight Riders (October 7)
The only team other than Mumbai Indians that can potentially derail the entire race for the fourth spot. Rajasthan Royals’ victory over Chennai Super Kings threw open the entire race. The equation is simple for them. If they win their remaining games, then they are through to the playoffs. If they lose one out of the two games, they will have to hope that Mumbai Indians lose one out of the two games as well. Since Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will square off against each other, a win in that match could see either side coming one step closer to the playoffs.
If Rajasthan Royals lose both their games, they are out of the playoff race. If they beat Mumbai Indians and lose to Kolkata Knight Riders, they will be knocked out. If they lose to Mumbai Indians and beat Kolkata Knight Riders, they will have to hope Mumbai Indians lose their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Next games: vs Rajasthan Royals (October 5), vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (October 8)
Mumbai Indians can dent the aspirations of all the sides in the race for the playoff. If they win both their games and Kolkata Knight Riders lose to Rajasthan Royals, they will become the fourth side in the IPL playoffs. The match against Rajasthan Royals becomes very important. If they lose one of their games, their path will be complicated.
If Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals, they will have to do so by a big margin. If they lose to Sunrisers Hyderabad, they will then have to hope that Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders. The fact that there could be three teams with 12 points and still qualify for the playoffs, makes their situation even more interesting.
In the UAE leg of IPL 2021, Mumbai Indians have won only one out of their five games and that has put them in the seventh position. They can still make a late surge and enter into the fourth spot like they did in 2014. However, if they lose one out of their two games and Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals, they will be eliminated. For the five-time champions, this will be the first time since 2018 where they have failed to qualify for the playoffs.
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