Week 6 gave us our first round of qualification and elimination but there’s plenty at stake in the last set of group games. Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals were the first sides to the play while we said an inevitable goodbye to Royal Challengers Bangalore following their rain-ruined match with Rajasthan Royals.
Week 7 begins with five franchises chasing those two playoff slots. What exactly do we have in store over the couple of days?
Mumbai on the Brink
Mumbai Indians can join CSK and the Capitals at the next round should they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. Mumbai have the support of the bookmakers here as Rohit Sharma’s guys go off at -161, while SRH are on offer at +130.
There is certainly some potential for an upset but it all is dependent upon how the Sunrisers respond to the loss of important personnel. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner have left to report for international duty before their World Cup therefore Hyderabad need Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill to measure up. Mumbai have less concerns and greater squad thickness and they ought to seal that third playoff slot.
Friday Showdown
If Mumbai do undergo, Friday’s contest between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders could 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 fight 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 by KKR at +100.
This might be as tight as the market indicates and while Kings hardly deserve to be classed as favourites, they possess the in-form batsmen who will decide the fate of this tie. It is up to Chris Gayle and KL Rahul plus some overdue assistance from David Miller, also if these batsmen fire, we can expect Punjab to snatch the points.
Closing Weekend
It’s our last weekend of team games and by Sunday night, the first set of playoff fixtures will be verified. It begins on Saturday morning as the Delhi Capitals sponsor Rajasthan Royals and the two groups should still be needing these points. The Royals have faint hopes of qualifying while Delhi are planning to finish within the top two.
The Capitals are several way ahead in the markets in -175, while Rajasthan sit +137. There might be scope for an upset here nonetheless, 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 visitors to the M Chinnaswamy and, while we wait for chances to come in with this one, SRH should start as slight favourites. RCB have been the toughest group to forecast this season and with Hyderabad afflicted by squad withdrawals, Virat Kohli and his guys have a fantastic chance to depart IPL 12 using a win.
On to Sunday and we begin with Kings XI Punjab hosting table toppers Chennai Super Kings. KXIP have a faint chance of qualifying in the time of writing but they’re famous for slipping in shape during the second half of the effort. We’ve already seen signs of that in the second half of these groups and we expect the Super Kings to make the most and send Punjab home.
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