It seems as the situation was predicted that the top 4 teams are going to be in a close fight for the Top 2 positions to play in Qualifier 1, and get the comfort even if they fail in that match, as they get another option. The two teams just outside of the Top 4 are also looking for a position in the Top 4 to enter the playoffs and the upcoming matches are very similar and even same for the Top 3 which makes this all even more exciting.
All teams have no more 3 matches left maximum, and it is the same for the current Top 3. RCB, MI and DC, – all three of them have three matches left, oe of which is against SRH for each of them and the rest 2 is between them.
KKR have gotten three matches, one each against KXIP, CSK and RR. Three teams, which are in the bottom 4 but have come back greatly in their last matches and are beating the teams at the top of the Points Table. KXIP have come in back and good and that is whom KKR face first and the match will decide who gets that coveted 4th position most probably, since KKR have a very bad NRR as compared to KXIP. So, The Road to Playoffs and the Road to Qualifier 1 is still very much open for a large bunch of teams.
BATTLE IN FOCUS: RCB vs DC vs MI
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore both had the chance to go top of the table but failed to do so on Super Sunday after facing losses to other teams in a tremendous way. These three teams, which are RCB, DC and MI wil, be facing each other once each in their final 3 matches and those matches will not only have an impact on DC, MI and RCB’s chances to qualify for Qualifier 1 but will also affect the chances of KKR, KXIP and RR.
The three teams will also be facing SRH once each in the final stage. That match could be understood as a buffer match basically as it provides this one match to all three teams which they have a high chance of winning. Focusing on the rest of the matches, it seems as if Delhi Capitals are the one team who have the advantage over the rest of the 2 teams and will be able to seal either the top spot or at least a position in the Top 2.
RCB lack the bowling quality that MI and DC possess which includes fast bowlers who can consistently bowl over 140 kmph and Nortje, playing for DC, does even occasionally bowl above 150 kmph. RCB do have an explosive batting line up but MI have an edge on them regarding that as well, as Mumbai Indians have a more formidable and in form batting line up which runs in deeper as compared to RCB’s batting line up.
Delhi Capitals will be banking on their bowlers, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant mainly for their victories whereas Mumbai Indians do have a more comprehensive side and have a better balance but now you might ask as to then why and how does DC have an advantage over the others as mentioned above.
The answer to that is that Delhi Capitals might look a little weaker currently as compared to Mumbai Indians in theory but practically, it seems that Delhi Capitals can utilise their bowing line up better than the rest and will be able to gain some advantage from there plus the match against KKR in which Delhi Capitals failed has a very low chance of being repeated and there were some major large errors which can be easily rectified by Delhi Capitals, whereas Mumbai Indians who lost against Rajasthan Royals, lost badly as one partnership got them down to their knees after the match in terms of the defeat that they faced.
Royal Challengers Bangalore can qualify for the playoffs but the chances of them qualifying in the Top 2 position is low and it does seem that even if they qualify they will not emerge as DREAM11 IPL 2020 Champions because their team isn’t even that good and their performance has been below the par set by the ones they are mainly competing against now – DC and MI.
The three teams who, as mentioned above will be looking for the fallout of these teams are KKR, KXIP and RR. Rajasthan Royals are pushing from the back and KKR and KXIP are fighting in the front. This set also has matches against each other and none of them are playing against SRH.
The battle for the Top 2 position which is in focus in this post, mainly includes the Top 3 and then KKR after that and hence, the match in focus is something acting as a prelude to the whole week of drama and that is the match in focus, a match which will decide several fortunes, and even affect RR’s chances to even qualify for the playoffs.
MATCH IN FOCUS: KKR vs KXIP IN SHARJAH
Kolkata Knight Riders are currently holding on to the last qualifying position with KXIP just hanging out to clinch that position. If Kolkata Knight Riders win this match, they have a shot at the Top 2 spots. Kolkata Knight Riders and KXIP both have two things to do in the match which includes winning the match and also bettering their NRR.
Increasing their NRR is going to be tough for both the teams as both the teams are generally involved in very close matches and what KKR needs especially is a victory with a big margin because they have a worse NRR as compared to KXIP.
The Game Plan will definitely be set for both teams which will include sweeping out 2 wickets in 6 overs for KKR against KXIP, considering KXIP have their main power in the Top 4 batsmen and KXIP will be looking to use their spinners in order to help stop the KKR middle order from firing. The last time these two teams met, it was a last ball climax which ended with KXIP loosing because Maxwell’s shot fell a couple of centimetres short of the boundary line.
The players to look out for in the match will be Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Varun Chakravarthy, Lockie Ferguson, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Tripathi and Shubman Gill for KKR and Md. Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, KL Rahul, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran for KXIP. The match is being played at Sharjah which adds to the excitement as mentioned before. The match being in Sharjah requires some upreme fielding and it seems as if KXIP might have a slight edge on KKR in terms of that.
Sunil Narine fired with the bat for KKR, in their last match against Delhi Capitals and Sharjah provides a great opportunity for him especially if he comes where he came in last time around to bat, he could really target Bishnoi and others in the short Sharjah boundaries.
Kings XI Punjab need to use their spinners at the right time and against the right batsmen. Dinesh Karthik may again fire against KXIP but KXIP need to understand their pitch and use their overs wisely. A bowler like Shami, if he isn’t very great in the PowerPlay overs then, probably KXIP should try out one spinner and gove Shami an over during the middle overs, to create a wicket opportunity.
Ravi Bishnoi has been doing great and so has been his partner Murugan Ashwin. KXIP need to focus a bit on their death bowling which was on point in the last match where the failed in the powerplay overs and then recovered later on, against SRH but KKR are a different team who have a lot of bulk batting towards the end in the death overs.
KL Rahul needs to continue his form but if Mayank Agarwal isn’t able to play due to his injury or any other reason, then Kings XI Punjab might be in a bit of trouble as Maxwell hasn’t been on top of things completely asd the Rahul – Agarwal partnership is that one thing that builds the core of KXIP.
There is a lot to fight for and the teams know this
|LET THE BATTLE FOR THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN|
spielens 