Which team can become the first one to qualify for playoffs in IPL 2023?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) season is coming down to the wire, with 15 games remaining and all 10 teams having a mathematical chance of still qualifying for the playoffs.
Most teams have three games remaining, while the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have two and four games left, respectively. As things stand, defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) are on top of the points table with 16 points in 11 games.
While 16 points have historically been good enough to clinch a playoff spot in the IPL, the 10-team format has meant that a team might have to reach 18 points to guarantee themselves a playoff spot.
Updated Points Table after match no. 55 of IPL 2023 🏏
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The Gujarat Titans (GT) can become the first team to officially qualify for the playoffs if they beat the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, May 12. A victory against MI will mean that GT move to 18 points, a mark only CSK and MI can reach, assuring them of a playoff berth.
The Titans impressed experts and fans alike last year by brushing aside their underdog status pre-season to finish atop the points table and defeating the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the final to win the title in their maiden IPL season.
All three of GT's defeats this season have come at home in Ahmedabad, which bodes well for them as they take on Mumbai away from home.
The contest will also have an extra edge with their skipper Hardik Pandya returning to Mumbai to take on his former team. Hardik spent the first seven years of his IPL career with MI and helped them win the title in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
GT will look to do a double on MI, having won the earlier encounter between the sides by 55 runs in Ahmedabad on April 25. MI have been on a hot streak, winning three of their last four games, as they currently sit in third place on the points table.
Gujarat Titans can also seal a top-two spot in IPL 2023 with a victory over the Mumbai Indians
The Gujarat Titans (GT) will also ensure a top-two finish in the points table, along with playoff qualification, with a win over the Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on May 12.
A win against MI will take GT to 18 points, which only the Chennai Super Kings can equal or overtake. MI are currently third on the table with 12 points with three games left, but a defeat to GT will mean they can only reach a maximum of 16 points, thereby clinching GT a top-two spot.
In the unfortunate event of rain playing spoilsport in the GT-MI clash, the Titans will still qualify for the playoffs but have to win another game or hope that the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lose one of their remaining games to ensure a top-two spot.
The top-two spot is paramount to ensure two cracks at qualifying for the final, should a team lose in the first Qualifier.
It is worth noting that in the 12 years since the Qualifier-Eliminator Playoff system has come into play in the IPL, only once has a team finished outside of the top two and won the title.
The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2016 finished third on the points table but won three straight games to win the title by defeating the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the grand finale.
Hence, the MI clash holds much significance for GT as they can achieve the double of clinching a Playoff spot and a top-two finish.
Following the MI clash, GT has two games remaining against SRH at home and RCB in Bangalore on May 15 and May 21, respectively.