Week 6 gave us our first round of qualification and removal but there is plenty at stake in the final set of group matches. Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals were the initial sides through to the play while we stated an inevitable goodbye to Royal Challengers Bangalore following their rain-ruined match with Rajasthan Royals.
Week 7 starts with five franchises chasing those two playoff slots. What exactly do we have in store over the remaining days?
Mumbai on the Brink
Mumbai Indians can join CSK and the Capitals in the next round if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. Mumbai certainly have the aid of their bookmakers here since Rohit Sharma’s guys go away at -161, while SRH are on offer at +130.
There’s surely some potential for an upset but everything depends on how the Sunrisers respond to the loss of important personnel. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner have left to report for international duty ahead of the World Cup therefore Hyderabad need Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill to step up. Mumbai have less worries and greater squad thickness and they ought to seal that next playoff slot.
Friday Showdown
If Mumbai do go through, Friday’s contest between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders might have a big say in determining the final playoff place. Both teams are locked on 10 points before this game and the winner will have the chance to battle it out using the Sunrisers for a top four finish. In terms of the chances, the market is predictably tight with Kings XI Punjab marginal favourites at -105,followed closely by KKR at +100.
This might be as tight as the marketplace suggests and while Kings hardly deserve to be classed as favourites, they possess the in-form batsmen who can decide the destiny of the tie. It is up to Chris Gayle and KL Rahul plus some overdue assistance from David Miller, and when these batsmen fire, we could expect Punjab to snatch the points.
Final Weekend
It’s our final weekend of team games and by Sunday night, the first pair of playoff fixtures will be confirmed. It starts on Saturday morning as the Delhi Capitals host Rajasthan Royals and both teams should still be needing the points. The Royals have faint hopes of qualifying while Delhi are aiming to finish inside the top two.
The Capitals are in the markets in -175, while Rajasthan sit at +137. There could be scope for an upset here nonetheless, and Delhi’s dramatic batting collapse against Chennai on Wednesday suggests they are running out of steam at this late stage of the season.
Next up would be the Royal Challengers who sign off on another effort. Sunrisers Hyderabad will be the traffic to the M Chinnaswamy and, while we wait for odds to come in with this one, SRH should begin as slight favourites. RCB are the toughest group to forecast this year and with Hyderabad afflicted by squad withdrawals, Virat Kohli and his guys have a fantastic chance to leave IPL 12 with a triumph.
On to Sunday and we start with Kings XI Punjab hosting table toppers Chennai Super Kings. KXIP have a faint chance of qualifying in the time of writing but they are famous for falling in form during the second half of the effort. We have seen signs of this in the second half of those groups and we anticipate the Super Kings to make the most and send Punjab home.
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