IPL 2024 Playoff scenarios explained: What should each team do to qualify? CSK, SRH favourites; RCB hopes to complete comeback

The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is almost near its business end with teams grappling for the playoff spots to extend their tournament and have a shot at the title.

Kolkata Knight Riders was the first team to seal qualification from the league phase, followed by Rajasthan Royals, who secured a spot after Lucknow Super Giants’ loss to Delhi Capitals on Tuesday.

At the other end of the table, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians have been eliminated from contention with Gujarat Titans joining them on the way out after their encounter against KKR was washed out due to rain.

The five remaining teams will battle it out for two remaining spots until the last league phase day to be played on Sunday.

Here is what each team has to do to secure a path to the IPL 2024 playoffs:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad is probably the best-placed team in the race for the playoffs. The Pat Cummins-led franchise has 14 points with a positive net run rate of 0.406.

The team still has two encounters remaining, against the already eliminated GT and PBKS, meaning the Sunrisers will have to lose both games by a hefty margin for it to drop behind the chasing teams in the table. One win in its remaining two games will seal the deal for SRH.

If RR loses its next two, SRH might even make it to the top two.

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings is another team with its destiny in its own hands. A win against RCB in its final group game will confirm its progress to the next phase.

LSG’s defeat to DC on Tuesday means CSK can make it through with even a loss, provided the NRR doesn’t drop below RCB’s. CSK will have to ensure it gets to within 18 runs of the target or prevent RCB from completing the chase within 18.1 overs when the two teams face off on Saturday.

A rain washout will also send the Super Kings through to the playoffs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

A comfortable win against Chennai Super Kings in the final league game at home will do the job for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Anything less than a win and it will be curtains for the Faf Du Plessis-led team despite its five-game winning run.

Delhi Capitals

The first team to complete its quota of 14 games this season, Delhi Capitals can only wait for other results to go its way. The team sits fifth with 14 points and will need SRH to lose both its remaining games by huge margins, pushing its Net Run Rate below that of DC.

Lucknow Super Giants

The loss against the Capitals on Tuesday has all but extinguished Lucknow Super Giants’ hopes of making it to its third straight IPL playoffs.

A negative NRR of 0.787 also doesn’t help its case and the team will need to win big in its final match against the Mumbai Indians and hope to have a better NRR than RCB if it wins its last league game.

If CSK beats RCB in its final game, LSG will need SRH to lose both its remaining encounters by a mammoth margin to make it through.