Week 6 gave us our initial round of qualification and elimination but there is plenty at stake in the final pair of group matches. Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals were the initial sides to the playoffs while we said an inevitable goodbye to Royal Challengers Bangalore after their rain-ruined game with Rajasthan Royals.
Week 7 begins with five franchises pursuing those two remaining playoff slots. So, what do we have in store over the remaining couple of days?
Mumbai on the Brink
Mumbai Indians can join CSK and the Capitals in the next round should they conquer Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. Mumbai have the support of the bookmakers here as Rohit Sharma’s guys go off at -161, while SRH are available at +130.
There is certainly a possibility of an upset but everything is dependent upon how the Sunrisers react to the loss of key personnel. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner have left to report for international duty ahead of their World Cup so Hyderabad want Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill to step up. Mumbai have less worries and increased squad depth and they should seal that third playoff slot.
Friday Showdown
If Mumbai do go through, Friday’s contest between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders could have a huge say in determining the final playoff place. Both teams are locked on 10 points before this game and the winner will have the opportunity to battle it out with the Sunrisers for a top four finish. As for the odds, the market is predictably tight using Kings XI Punjab marginal favourites at -105,followed by KKR in +100.
This might be as tight as the marketplace indicates and while Kings hardly deserve to be classed as favourites, they have the in-form batsmen who will decide the fate of this tie. It is up to Chris Gayle and KL Rahul plus some overdue support from David Miller, also when those batsmen fire, we can anticipate Punjab to grab the points.
Final Weekend
It is our final weekend of team games and from Sunday night, the initial set of playoff fixtures will probably be verified. It begins on Saturday morning as the Delhi Capitals sponsor Rajasthan Royals and the two teams should still be needing the points. The Royals have faint hopes of qualifying while Delhi are aiming to finish within the top two.
The Capitals are in the markets at -175, while Rajasthan sit at +137. There could be scope for an upset here however, and Delhi’s dramatic batting collapse contrary to Chennai on Wednesday suggests they’re running out of steam at the late stage of the season.
Next up would be the Royal Challengers who sign off on another campaign. Sunrisers Hyderabad will be the traffic to the M Chinnaswamy and, while we wait for chances to come in with this one, SRH should begin as slight favourites. RCB have been the toughest team to forecast this year and with Hyderabad afflicted by group withdrawals, Virat Kohli and his men have a good opportunity to depart IPL 12 with a win.
On to Sunday and we start with Kings XI Punjab hosting table toppers Chennai Super Kings. KXIP have a faint prospect of qualifying in the time of writing but they are known for slipping in shape throughout the second half of their effort. We’ve already seen signs of that in the second half of these groups and we anticipate the Super Kings to make the most and send Punjab home.
Read more here: http://www.konteccreativeapp.com/hypedance/mk-dons-0-1-ipswich-tractor-boys-maintain-strong-start-as-jon-nolan-hits-winner-2/