IPL 2024 Qualifier 1: The picture of the playoffs for IPL 2024 is now gradually becoming clear. So far, Kolkata Knight Riders, captained by Shreyas Iyer, is the only team that has been able to secure its place in the playoffs, there is still suspense regarding the remaining three spots. Meanwhile, the match between KKR and GT which was washed out due to rain did two things. While Gujarat Titans is now completely out of the race to reach the top 4, it has also been decided that KKR will finish in the top 2 only. Now the question is that when the KKR team will enter the field to play the first qualifier, then who can they compete with?
Kolkata Knight Riders still have one more match left
Kolkata Knight Riders team has played 13 matches so far in this year’s IPL. Out of these, the team has won 9 matches and has faced defeat in 3. The team also got one point for the match that could not take place. That means the team is currently on top of the points table with 19 points. The team still has one more match left. That means the team can reach a maximum of 21 points here. The good thing is that even if the team loses, there will be no impact on its health. If the team wins, it will directly finish on top with 21 points, but even if it loses, it will remain in the top 2 and will not come down.
Rajasthan Royals team can give competition
Let us assume that KKR team loses its next match and what will happen if its total is only 19 points. The team will finish at number one or two. But if the team remains at the top then who can be the second number team, whereas if the team ends its journey at second place then who can go to the first number. The biggest contender for this is the Rajasthan Royals team captained by Sanju Samson. Rajasthan Royals team has played 12 matches so far and has 16 points after winning 8 matches. From here, if Rajasthan Royals team wins both the matches then it will finish on 20, i.e. RR on first and KKR on second. But if RR team wins one match from here and loses the other then the team will have a total of 18 points. In this situation, KKR will be number one and RR will be the second number team.
Competition between RR and KKR to reach top 2
Apart from Rajasthan Royals, now no other team can beat KKR. The reason for this is that CSK has 14 points and has one match left. That means the team will be able to reach a maximum of 16 points only. Sunrisers Hyderabad also have 14 points and the team has two matches left. This means that even if this team wins both its matches, it can reach a maximum of 18 points. In such a situation, there is a possibility that the first qualifier of IPL can be played between KKR and RR. The advantage of the qualifiers is that the team that wins this match will go directly to the finals, whereas the team that loses will get another chance to go to the finals. So as per the situation as of now, it seems that the big match between KKR and RR can be played on 21st May in Ahmedabad. But if there are some changes in future then it is a different matter.
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