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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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3 years ago

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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.

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IPL 2025: Only unfinished business is lifting the trophy, says SRH’s Nitish Reddy

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20 hours ago

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April 3, 2025

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New Delhi, April 3: After ending up as runners-up in the last edition of the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy feels that the only unfinished business for the franchise is to lift the trophy this season.

SRH had a tough start to the IPL 2025 season as they lost their last two matches and are placed in eighth place in the standings. They will look to add two points against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday, in a rematch of the IPL 2024 final.

“To be honest, I never set personal goals, even when playing for India or in the IPL last year. The only unfinished business is lifting the trophy. We created history with some records, but our ultimate goal is to win the IPL title and add a second star to SRH’s legacy,” Reddy said on JioHotstar’s show ‘Gen Bold’.

Reflecting on his growth since the breakthrough last season, where he scored 303 runs in 13 matches for SRH and went on to make his India debut in T20I and Test formats, Reddy said, “I am very happy with the progress I’ve made, both in my performances for my country and my IPL franchise. I want to continue delivering at the same level. There has been a significant change – people have started recognising me and praising my performances.

“However, I don’t want to let this get to my head. Moving forward, I want to play with the same passion and consistency, whether it’s for my franchise or India. My focus remains on keeping my love for cricket alive.”

The 21-year-old lauded Pat Cummins’ leadership skills and termed him a calm and composed captain. “He is an extremely calm and composed leader. The way he handles pressure is remarkable. When you see your captain managing things so smoothly, it instils confidence in the entire group.”

“His composure helps us believe that we can always make a comeback. As a captain, he is brilliant, and I truly enjoy playing under his leadership,” Reddy said.

On SRH’s explosive batting line-up, he added, “I would rate my team very highly. We had an incredible season last year, and we want to replicate that success. Our strategy is simple – playing with a free mind, maximizing runs in the powerplay, and carrying that momentum into the later overs. Whether it’s the top or middle order, everyone has a role to play. We’re hopeful for another great season.”

Reddy picked Kagiso Rabada as the toughest bowler to face in the IPL and said facing him was a tough challenge.

“I guess I have started understanding the bowlers better now. Just as they study my game, I analyse theirs too. My approach will remain the same, but I will adapt to situations as required. Last year, I didn’t play the first four matches, but when I did, I found Kagiso Rabada particularly challenging. When we played against Punjab, he was very expressive on that wicket, and facing him there was a tough challenge for me,” he said.

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IPL 2025: Nick Knight backs PBKS winning formula under Iyer and Ponting

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2 days ago

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April 2, 2025

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New Delhi, April 2: Former England cricketer Nick Knight believes Punjab Kings (PBKS) have found a winning formula in IPL 2025, with the leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting.

After a strong start to the IPL 2025 campaign, where Iyer’s unbeaten 97 off 42 balls powered Punjab Kings to a narrow 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans, PBKS extended their unbeaten streak with a commanding eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, courtesy to Prabhsimran Singh (69) and Iyer’s ( 52 not out) fluent half-centuries.

Knight was particularly impressed with how Indian players have stepped up in the team’s two commanding victories so far.

“You look at their team line-up and think they’ve won two games quite well—this one (against LSG) certainly comprehensively. Overseas players haven’t played a major part in that. So (there are) contributions from Indian players. The captain’s like a rock. He looks so calm. He looks so authoritative. The team is playing exactly how his mentality is playing out along with the coach Ricky Ponting,” Knight said on ESPNcricinfo.

What stands out is how much of PBKS’ success has come from their Indian core. Shreyas Iyer has led from the front, but youngsters like Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Prabhsimran Singh have also played key roles. This bodes well for the team, especially since their overseas stars—Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson, and Azmatullah Omarzai—haven’t yet had a major impact.

“Maxwell, Stoinis, Ferguson, Omarzai, whoever it’s going to be, you know they’re going to play a major part, win a game or two and have a major contribution along the line. So you put that in the back pocket and say, ‘Well, that’s going to happen at some point. So if we’re winning games without them, we’re in a pretty good place’. That’s as much I see from that performance. That is a really confident start for them based on some of their major players yet to make a major contribution,” said Knight.

After win on Tuesday night against LSG, PBKS will look to maintain their momentum and add another victory to their tally when they face Rajasthan Royals on April 5.

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IPL 2025: When and where to watch LSG vs PBKS, head-to-head record

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3 days ago

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April 1, 2025

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Lucknow, April 1: Lucknow Super Giants will host the Punjab Kings at the the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday in match 13 of the 2025 Indian Premier League campaign.

Led by captain Rishabh Pant, the Super Giants will head into the game brimming with confidence after they defeated SunRisers Hyderabad by five wickets at their home ground.

Having opened their account in IPL 2025, LSG will be looking to continue the winning momentum against the Kings at home.

Punjab Kings began their IPL 2025 campaign with a 11-run win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.

The Kings’ top order includes wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh, opener Priyansh Arya and newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer. The likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh are expected to feature in their middle order. In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal and Vijaykumar Vyshak are their key options. Their opening game win against GT was an overall solid performance where Arya and Iyer set the foundation in the first innings and clutch death bowling by Vyshak secured the win

LSG vs PBKS head-to-head record in IPL

LSG have a superior head-to-head record against Punjab Kings in the IPL, having won three of the four matches.

The last time the two sides met, the former registered a 21-run home victory over the Kings in March 2024

Live Streaming details

Venue: The match will take place at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

When: April 1, 7:30 PM IST

Livestream: The clash between Lucknow and Punjab will be live-streamed on JioHotstar app and website

Broadcast: Star Sports Network

Squads:

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shardul Thakur, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, RS Hangargekar, Akash Maharaj Singh, Avesh Khan, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Shamar Joseph, Arshin Kulkarni

Punjab Kings: Josh Inglis(w), Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas lyer(c), Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash

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