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IPL 2022 playoff scenarios: Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat Titans in race for top-two, overall nine teams in fray for top-four, MI out

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 Two new teams — Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans — have performed exceedingly well in their maiden season and are in the race to finish at the top of the points table with their three league matches remaining in the ongoing IPL 2022.

Ahead of the start of the 15th edition of the league, nobody would have thought that Mumbai Indians (five-time champions), Chennai Super Kings (four-time champions) and Kolkata Knight Riders (two-times champions) would feature in the bottom three but it is a reality due to the lacklustre performances of these franchise.

On the other hand, new entrants — Lucknow and Gujarat — have played fearless cricket and are on the verge of qualification for playoffs. After the completion of the 56 matches in IPL 2022, only Mumbai Indians have been eliminated from the qualification race and nine teams are still in the fray for a playoff spot.

Before the final leg of IPL 2022’s league stage, IANS takes a look at the scenarios each side needs to go through to qualify for a playoff spot.

Race for top-two finish:

The KL Rahul-led Lucknow and Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat are fighting for finishing at the top of the points table.

Lucknow have 16 points from 11 games (8 win, 3 loss) and they need just one win to seal a top-four berth. If LSG win two of their remaining three games then they will be assured of a finish in the top-two. Their Net Run Rate (+0.703) is the best among all 10 teams at this stage and even if they are tied on points with other sides, Lucknow have the best chance of finishing on top.

On the other hand, Gujarat, like Lucknow, also need one more win to assure themselves of a finish in the top-four slot. GT also have 16 points from 11 games and will finish in the top-two if they win their last three games.

If they can manage to win two more matches, it will leave them in a good position as they would be on 20 points. Only Rajasthan Royals, who have 14 points from 11 games, can overtake GT by winning all three games. The Hardik Pandya-led side can even make the cut with one more win if Rajasthan Royals win only one of their last three games.

Both Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans are facing each other in the 57th match of the IPL 2022 on Tuesday in Pune and whosoever wins will officially qualify for the playoffs.

Mid-table muddle:

Rajasthan Royals (14 points) have the best NRR (+0.326) among all teams below them in the points table, and one more win could be enough to keep them in the top-four. They can also finish in the top-two if they win all three remaining games and GT win not more than two.

If GT and RR are tied on points, NRR will come into the equation (currently, Rajasthan have an NRR of +0.326 as compared to GT, who are at +0.120).

On the other hand, Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (14 points from 12 games) could reach a maximum of 18 points and they will seal a top-four spot if they win their last two games. However, if they lose one, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings all have a chance to equal RCB on 16 points and it will come down to NRR and, in that case, Bangalore’s NRR (-0.115) could go against them.

And if RCB lose both their remaining games, they could also fail to qualify for playoffs as both DC and SRH have a better NRR than them.

On the other hand, Delhi Capitals (10 points from 11 games) will have to hope that RCB lose at least one game, because DC can only get to a maximum of 16 points. The Rishabh Pant-led side has a NRR of +0.150 and could edge ahead if teams are tied on points. However, Delhi can also be knocked out if RR and RCB both get to 18 points.

One more loss for DC could also be the end of the season for them as they will only be able to get 14 points. SRH, PBKS, RR, and RCB will all be in contention to get 16 points.

Meanwhile, the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad have 10 points from 11 games. Like DC, SRH will also only be in the contention if RCB lose one of their last two games. If RCB lose one match and DC lose one, SRH will need to win all matches to make the cut. Their path will be easier if DC lose two of their three games.

SRH could be also knocked out if four teams get to 18 points because they can get a maximum of 16 points. If RCB are out of contention, and SRH are tied on points with DC, it will come down to NRR. Currently, SRH have an inferior run-rate (-0.031) compared to Delhi.

Punjab Kings have 10 points from 11 games, they will only be in contention if RCB lose one game. However, they have a NRR of -0.231 and will have to win their remaining matches by huge margins if they want to edge ahead if points are tied among teams.

PBKS are scheduled to play three teams (vs RCB, DC, SRH) who are directly competing with them for a playoff berth. If Punjab wins all three, they will compete with RCB to make the top four. If RCB and PBKS are tied on 16 points, RCB could make the cut if they continue to have a better net run-rate than PBKS.

Bottom Three:

Kolkata Knight Riders have eight points from 11 games and NRR of -0.304. A lot of things will have to be in their favour if they want to make the top-four and get 14 points. KKR have to win all games by big margins, RCB have to lose all games, and CSK, DC, SRH, PBKS have to lose at least one game each. However, even then, KKR’s poor NRR might not be enough for them to get a playoff spot.

On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings also have eight points from 11 games and their play-off chances too depend on a lot of other results going their way plus they have to win their remaining three games to reach 14 points. They will also hope that RCB lose both their matches, and DC, SRH, and PBKS lose at least one game each by big margins. However, CSK will be eliminated if RCB win their next game.

Five times champions Mumbai have won just two out their 11 matches in the ongoing season and are already out of the tournament.

health

Tobacco is not just addiction but poison: Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta leads walkathon on World No-Tobacco Day in Rohini

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New Delhi, May 31: On the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, Delhi’s Rohini area witnessed a strong show of public awareness and health advocacy through a walkathon organised to spread the message against tobacco consumption.

The event, themed ‘Walk for Life’, brought together medical professionals, civic leaders, and local residents in a collective stand against the harmful effects of tobacco.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, who flagged off the walkathon, delivered a powerful message on the dangers of tobacco. “Tobacco is not just an addiction; it’s a poison,” he said, addressing the gathering. “It is a dangerous habit that ruins lives, and the only effective way to combat it is through sustained awareness and education,” he added.

Organised by the Indian Medical Association in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, the event saw enthusiastic participation from doctors, healthcare workers, and members of the public.

The walkathon aimed to raise awareness, especially among the youth, about the health risks associated with tobacco, including its direct link to life-threatening diseases like cancer.

“The younger generation often views smoking and tobacco use as fashionable, but we must help them understand the long-term consequences,” Gupta added, urging collective efforts to curb the rising trend of tobacco use among the youth.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Sudhir Rawal, Medical Director at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, emphasised the medical impact: “Tobacco is one of the main avoidable causes of cancer. If you don’t use tobacco, you significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer, especially lung and mouth cancer.”

The event also featured health-themed activities, including group exercises and educational talks, to create a more engaging and impactful experience for participants.

As part of a broader initiative across the country, the Rohini walkathon served as a crucial reminder of the importance of quitting tobacco and promoting healthier, smoke-free lives.

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Sports

IPL 2025: This will be the year for RCB, AB de Villiers backs his former franchise to end title drought

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Mumbai, May 31: Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers backed his former IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to lift their maiden title this year after securing their berth for the summit clash with a commanding win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday.

This year, RCB have been in stellar form and have not lost a single away game so far in the season. They finished the league stage with 19 points to seal the second spot in the points table.

Virat Kohli and Phil Salt have been leading the run-scoring for the franchise with 614 and 387 runs respectively. The duo has been supported by middle-order batters including captain Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya.

On the bowling front, Josh Hazlewood is the leading wicket-taker for the side with 21 scalps in 11 games while Krunal Pandya (15 wickets), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15 wickets) and Yash Dayal (12 wickets) are also contributing in tandem to make them a balanced unit.

“I’m very happy that RCB is in the final. We saw MI winning last night, so it’ll be a very good qualifier too, knockout match between Punjab and MI. Looking forward to that one, and whoever deserves it will play RCB in the final, so I’m very much looking forward to the final and hopefully, this will be the year for RCB,” De Villiers told Media in Mumbai.

The legendary batter backed Punjab Kings to play the final against RCB but remains sceptical after watching Mumbai Indians’ dominance against Gujarat Titans to knock them out of the tournament on Friday.

“I said quite a while ago, about a month ago, that Punjab and RCB will be in the final. MI looked very strong right now, so it looks like the odds are against my call, but it is still cricket. You never know. It is a knockout match. It takes one or two great performances to turn the pressure onto your opposition. So I think it’s still going to be Punjab, but I’ve got a little bit of doubt now in my mind after watching last night’s game,” he said.

Punjab Kings will now take on Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday to seal a place for the IPL 2025 final against RCB on June 3 at the same venue.

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National

SpaceX’s Starship fails 3rd time, Musk blames fuel leak as megarocket explodes

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New Delhi, May 28: Even as SpaceX’s Starship flight exploded during splashdown on its ninth test on Wednesday, the company’s founder Elon Musk blamed it on fuel leaks.

This is the third time in a row that Starship flight has faced issues during the test flight. The company’s last two test flights — the seventh (January) and eighth (March) test flight — also ended prematurely with the destruction of the aircraft.

The ninth test flight of Starship — which blasted off at about 7:36 p.m. EDT (5:06 am IST) from the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas — successfully reached orbit, flying farther than on its two previous attempts.

However, the spacecraft’s payload bay door failed to open, preventing the planned release of simulated Starlink satellites. Around 30 minutes into the mission, SpaceX confirmed a fuel tank leak aboard the vehicle.

The first-stage Super Heavy booster exploded shortly before its expected splashdown, and live video showed the upper-stage vehicle spinning uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, due to fuel leaks.

“Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase,” Musk shared in a post on his social media platform X.

“Contact with the booster was lost shortly after the start of the landing burn when it experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly approximately 6 minutes after launch, bringing an end to the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster,” SpaceX said in a statement.

However, Musk called the flight an achievement and noted that there had been no loss to the heat shield tiles.

“Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over the last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent. Lot of good data to review,” Musk said.

SpaceX noted that the company “will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test”.

Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship and heavy booster — the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket system. It will launch the moon lander for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission that aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2026.

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