IPL 2023 playoff scenario explained

Rajasthan Royals kept their faint playoff chances alive with a four-wicket victory vs Punjab Kings in Match 66 of IPL 2023, in Dharamshala on Friday. Chasing a target of 188 runs, RR reached 189/6 in 19.4 overs, courtesy of a late cameo by Shimron Hetmyer (46 off 28 balls. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal (51) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (50) also registered key half-centuries. For PBKS' bowling department, Kagiso Rabada took two wickets.

Initially, Punjab posted 187/5 in 20 overs, with Sam Curran smacking an unbeaten knock of 49 runs off 31 balls. Navdeep Saini was in hot form for RR and took three wickets.

RR's clash vs PBKS was also their final league game, and they are currently fifth in the standings with 14 points in 14 matches, and have a net run rate of +0.148. To ensure qualification, RR need Royal Challengers Bangalore to lose against defending champions Gujarat Titans by a huge margin. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians should not defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad and if Kolkata Knight Riders beat Lucknow Super Giants, it should be by a narrow margin.

Chennai Super Kings are second in the standings with 15 points in 13 matches. Their last league game is against Delhi Capitals, scheduled for Saturday. If they win, CSK will qualify for the playoff. If LSG don't defeat KKR by a big margin, CSK will get the Qualifier 1 spot. If CSK lose, then RCB or MI also must lose their last game. Also, KKR need to defeat LSG by a huge margin. Third in the standings, LSG face KKR in their final league match on Saturday and a win will guarantee them a playoff spot. If they lose, they will need RCB or MI to lose their clash.

Faf du Plessis-led RCB are fourth in the table and face GT in their final league clash on Sunday. If they win, to guarantee playoffs MI, CSK or LSG need to lose their last match. If RCB lose, they should not lose by a big margin, so that they can remain ahead of RR on net run rate. Also, MI must lose their match and KKR should not defeat LSG by a big margin. Also, if RCB lose by more than 11 runs, they will be eliminated. On the other hand, MI are sixth in the table and face SRH in their final league game on Sunday. If they win, then to ensure playoffs, either CSK, LSG or RCB must lose their last match. If MI lose, they will be knocked out.

Seventh-placed KKR face LSG on Saturday and a victory won't ensure a playoff berth. They need to beat LSG by a huge margin, and if that happens, then either MI or RCB need to lose their respective matches by big margins. If they lose, they are eliminated. Meanwhile, PBKS, SRH and DC have already been knocked out of playoff contention.