How many teams who won Eliminator went on to lift the trophy in IPL history?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs are a ruthless setting where mistakes are not left unpunished. The format involves four teams that have finished over the rest in the equally grueling league stage and comprises four matches in total.
While the top two sides are involved in Qualifier 1, the third and fourth-placed teams face each other in the Eliminator. The campaign will come to an end for a franchise if they proceed to lose the Eliminator clash, while the winner advances to Qualifier 2.
If a team find themselves in the Eliminator, they need to win three successive matches in the playoffs to win the IPL title, which is a tall ask. That is why only a single team in the competition's history has managed to achieve it, the iconic SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) team of 2016 led by David Warner.
The Orange Army finished third on net run rate as their rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) claimed the second spot. SRH defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 22 runs in the Eliminator, setting up a Qualifier 2 clash against the Gujarat Lions. The David Warner-led side qualified for the finals after securing their second consecutive win.
SRH were up against RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the final of the 2016 edition, and they managed to win their first title by defeating the Virat Kohli-led side by eight runs. Since then, no side have managed to even qualify for the final through the Eliminator, barring the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2021 edition.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had also come close to winning the IPL after winning the Eliminator in the 2012 season. However, they were defeated by KKR in the final.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) two wins away from repeating SRH's iconic feat in the IPL
RR won the 2024 edition Eliminator by getting past RCB in Ahmedabad. The Sanju Samson-led side have set up a Qualifier 2 clash against SRH in Chennai on Friday, May 24.
If they manage to defeat the Pat Cummins-led side, RR will make it to their third IPL final in history. It is to be noted that KKR have already qualified for the finals after a dominant win over SRH in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad.
RR currently have no room for error, but neither do the rest of the sides remaining in the competition, thus keeping them on a relatively even keel.