With the league stage of IPL 2023 in its home stretch and the race for the playoffs intensifying, seven teams are in contention for two spots in the knockouts. While Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have all but secured their entry into the playoffs, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings are at the forefront of a tight race to the finish.
With 14 points and two games still left, Mumbai (third) is most likely to secure a top-four finish among the seven contending teams. Following its two back-to-back losses at the start of the season, it looked like Mumbai was on course for repeating its 2022 season, when it ended at the bottom of the table with just four wins from 14 games. However, Rohit Sharma’s men have successfully turned their season on its head with seven wins in their last 10 games.
Here are some instances of when teams came back from the brink to secure qualification for the playoffs:
MUMBAI INDIANS - 2014
In one of the most spectacular run-chases in T20 cricket, Mumbai Indians chased down Rajasthan Royals’ 190-run target in 14.4 overs and pipped its opponent for the fourth playoffs spot. Aditya Tare launched a full toss from James Faulkner over deep square-leg for the winning runs, prompting Royals mentor Rahul Dravid to throw his cap to the ground in frustration. The win was Mumbai’s fourth in a row after it started its campaign with five consecutive defeats. Following the horror start, the Rohit Sharma-led side went on to win seven of its nine league games to qualify for the Eliminator. However, Mumbai’s juggernaut was stopped by Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator.
MI 2014 league stage results: L L L L L W W L W L W W W W
Playoffs: Lost to CSK by seven wickets in Eliminator
RAJASTHAN ROYALS - 2015
After starting the campaign with five consecutive wins, Rajasthan Royals endured a five-match winless streak which included a defeat in the Super Over and two no results. With 12 points from 10 matches, Royals went on to win two of their last four league games to book the fourth spot on the points table and qualify for the playoffs. A narrow nine-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed Rajasthan’s berth in the playoffs. The win was set up by Shane Watson’s unbeaten 59-ball 104 which left KKR with 200 to get. A 71-run hammering at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator eventually ended Royals’ season.
RR 2015 league stage results: W W W W W L L NR NR L W L L W
Playoffs: Lost to RCB by 71 runs in Eliminator
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD - 2019
With just six wins from their quota of 14 league games, Sunrisers Hyderabad is the only team to have qualifed for the playoffs with just 12 points. It pipped KKR and Punjab Kings on Net Run Rate to book the fourth spot in the standings. Sunrisers blew hot and cold throughout the tournament. They won three in a row after losing their first game and then lost three consecutive games to have six points at the halfway mark of the league stage. In the second half of the tournament, Sunrisers continued their inconsistent run, starting off with two back-to-back wins and then losing their last two games. They scraped through to the playoffs eventually, separated by just one point from Rajasthan Royals and RCB - the bottom two teams in the standings. The Kane Williamson-led side lost to Delhi Capitals by two wickets in the Eliminator and ended its topsy-turvy campaign.
SRH 2019 league stage results: L W W W L L L W W L L W L L
Playoffs: Lost to DC by two wickets in Eliminator
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE - 2020
Virat Kohli’s men had a season of two halves. They started off in commanding fashion, winning five of their first seven games and then eked out just two wins from their remaining league matches. They ended the league stage with four consecutive defeats and scrambled over the line in the playoffs race, edging past KKR on Net Run Rate. Playing its first knockout match since the 2016 final, RCB’s aspirations to get its hands on the elusive title were once again cut short by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator.
RCB 2020 league stage results: W L W W L W W L W W L L L L
Playoffs: Lost to SRH by six wickets in Eliminator
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS - 2021
In one of the most stunning turnarounds to a team’s campaign, Kolkata Knight Riders qualified for the playoffs after winning five of its last seven league stage matches. In the first seven, it had just two wins to show for. Having secured the fourth playoffs spot, and in the process going past Mumbai Indians on Net Run Rate, KKR continued its dream run in the knockouts. It beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively, and booked its second IPL final against Chennai Super Kings. However, it failed to repeat the success of the 2012 final and fell short by 27 runs of a 193-run target.
KKR 2021 league stage results: W L L L L W L W W L W L W W
Playoffs: Beat RCB by four wickets in Eliminator
Beat DC by three wickets in Qualifier 2
Lost to CSK by 27 runs in Final
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