ANOTHER CLOSE IPL FINISH IN OFFING

Here are the IPL scenarios for Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab as the league stage nears its end

MUMBAI INDIANS

If Mumbai Indians win: If Kings XI Punjab lose to CSK, then MI will finish third as they have a better Net Run-Rate.

If MI lose: With Royal Challengers Bangalore beating Sunrisers, it will be a touch difficult for Mumbai Indians. If RCB then beat RR, it would have to be by a small margin. Then it will boil down to Net Run-Rate.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

If Kolkata Knight Riders win: Victory against table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad will seal their passage to the play-offs. They can finish second if Chennai Super Kings lose against Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab by a big margin.

If KKR lose: They have to hope they do not lose by a big margin and Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by a small margin. Their path will be made easier if Delhi Daredevils beat Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

If Rajasthan Royals win: A victory against RCB will not guarantee them a play-off spot. They will have to hope Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore. Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings can do RR a big favour with wins over Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in their last game. If Rajasthan Royals lose: They will be eliminated from the playoff race. However, if Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils beat Mumbai Indians by a massive margin, Kings XI Punjab lose heavily to Chennai Super Kings, they can still make it.

KINGS XI PUNJAB

If Kings XI Punjab win: They will have to beat CSK by a big margin and hope Delhi Daredevils beat Mumbai Indians. RCB’s win against Sunrisers Hyderabad makes things complicated. It will become easier if Rajasthan Royals lose to Virat Kohli’s side. KXIP’s path will be made slightly easier if Kolkata Knight Riders lose to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

If KXIP lose: They will have to hope Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and thrash Kolkata Knight Riders. KXIP will be helped a lot if Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore match is a wash-out.