IPL 2020 QUALIFICATION SCENARIOS AT HALF WAY STAGE

 

After the first half of the IPL we can see there is a huge gap between the top 3 sides and the rest of the teams with Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians & Royal Challengers Bangalore almost but certain that they have claimed their place in the playoffs. With 1 more spot vacant for the playoffs race and 5 teams eyeing that particular spot, let us look at each of the 5 teams and what chances do they have of reaching the top 4.

A team in a Chaotic state

Having played 8 games and with only 8 points in their kitty, the KKR management would be and should be pretty upset with their team. They have all the big players who can win you games single-handedly, yet they are on single digits on the points table. The most expensive foreign player to date, the 15cr personality Pat Cummins has only managed to pick 2 wickets from 8 games, but it seems this year his bat is doing most of the talking rather than with the ball and I am pretty sure KKR management has spent so much on Pat Cummins for his bowling skills. Also with the change in captaincy in the midst of the IPL season, I can certainly say KKR dressing room is in a chaotic mess, and to make matters worse for them they have the second-worst net run rate in the whole competition.

Over Dependent team

Sunrisers Hyderabad has played 8 games so far out which they have won only 3 games. The problem with SRH is that they are over-dependent on David Warner & Jonny Bairstow. In fact, their bowling has done quite brilliantly this year in absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. With such an inexperienced bowling lineup it will be up to the batsman to put up those big totals or chase the targets down. If they are dreaming of reaching the playoffs then their top 4 David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey & Kane Willamson will have to do the bulk of the scoring & win matches for them.

The Grand- Daddy's Army

The yellow army the so-called daddy's army. Well, they are playing as if they are grand-daddy's army. With 6 points from 9 games, I am pretty sure that this is not the old Chennai Super Kings team that we have seen over the years. This team has shown no intent at all in their batting, right from the power play overs up until the 15th over, and post that in the last 5 overs they try to chase 80-90 runs which are quite difficult looking at the dimensions of the ground in the UAE. This team lacks firepower at the top and they don't have a finisher who can score at a strike rate of 200 + in the last 5 overs. With age not on his side, you cannot expect Dhoni to play those miraculous innings which he used to play in the past. If CSK wants to continue its tradition of reaching the playoffs of every single IPL edition, then they will have to play out of their skins and if it does happen then it will be a treat to watch.

The Royal has stopped Rumbling

What more can you say about Rajasthan Royals, barring the first 2 games in Sharjah where they won and everyone thought that this year is going to be their year, it's been going downhill for them since those victories. Sanju Samson hasn't played any significant knock after those 2 blistering fifties in the first 2 games. Steve Smith looks totally out of sorts in batting & captaincy. They don't have a proper finisher, even if they have they are using them as openers. Their bowling other than Jofra Archer every other bowler is leaking runs. There are problems aplenty for this team. If you notice, this team is over-dependent on Smith, Buttler, Stokes, Archer & Samson. I still don't understand their logic of trading Rahane to Delhi, at least with Rahane they had a much more settled top 4. To say the least, this team is in a complete mess at this point in time in the IPL and with only 6 points in their kitty from 9 games, I don't see them qualifying for the playoffs.

Losing has become a habit

If ever there was an award for losing games from a winning position then Kings XI Punjab deserves that award. With just 4 points in their kitty, one more loss and they are out of the tournament, such has been their tournament this year. They have all the firepower in their batting, bowling & fielding department but have yet forgotten how to win games. Their owners are on top of the orange cap list but their team is at the bottom of the points table. Again this team is over-reliant on their openers, Maxwell's form is a big mystery, their bowlers Shami & Cottrell are taken for cleaners. It is said winning is a habit so is losing and it seems this team has forgotten how to win games. 

Conclusion

I think Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians & Royal Challengers Bangalore have booked themselves a spot in the playoffs, one spot is still remaining and 5 teams are fighting for that 1 spot. The 2nd half of the IPL is already underway and it is during this period we see major upsets, big turnarounds, and some classic finishes. Because in cricket anything is possible.