IPL 2020 playoffs race: Mumbai Indians qualifies for knockouts, Kolkata Knight Riders on brink of elimination
IPL 2020 playoffs race: Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2020 playoffs after Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Thursday.
Published : Oct 29, 2020 23:10 IST
Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2020 playoffs after Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Thursday. Chasing 173 to win, Chennai rode on Ruturaj Gaikwad's 53-ball 72 and Ravindra Jadeja's 11-ball 31 to get over the line in a last-ball thriller. Although Chennai is officially out of playoff race, the six-wicket win over KKR has made life a tad more difficult for Eoin Morgan and his men.
Meanwhile, Mumbai was an instant beneficiary of Chennai's comprehensive win. MI has 16 points after 12 matches and plays Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad next. Mumbai's strong Net Run Rate of +1.186 gives it the upper hand over the remaining teams.
Hanging by a thread
Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, will hope to stay afloat when it takes on Kings XI Punjab on Friday. Rajasthan can reach a maximum of 14 points. While it is not out of contention yet, its chances of qualifying hinge on how it fares against a rejuvenated Punjab, which has won five in a row after a rather disappointing start to the campaign. Interestingly, KKR's last match is against RR.
IPL Points Table
| TEAMS | P | W | L | Points | NRR |
| Mumbai Indians | 12 | 8 | 4 | 16 | +1.186 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 12 | 7 | 5 | 14 | +0.048 |
| Delhi Capitals | 12 | 7 | 5 | 14 | +0.030 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | -0.049 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | -0.467 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | +0.396 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.505 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 13 | 5 | 8 | 10 | -0.532 |