Following their hard-fought win over Mumbai Indians (MI), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have climbed up to the third spot in the points table. They have put one step forward to plunge into the playoff with the all-important victory. Though they are level on points (15) with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the MS Dhoni-led team is one rung ahead of LSG on better run rate.
LSG’s win is a bad news for MI. Even if Mumbai manage to win their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), they might not qualify due to their very poor net run rate at the moment. If Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) manage to win both their matches, MI are unlikely to qualify unless they win by a huge margin.
However, LSG’s victory is a good news for all the other teams in the playoff race. A victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next match will ensure CSK’s place in qualifier one unless LSG beat KKR by a huge margin.
It’s a good chance for teams like Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). They have a chance now to qualify for the playoffs. If they manage to win their last league matches and get 14 points, both would fancy themselves to upstage MI on net run rate if the Rohit Sharma-led team loses their last game against SRH.
Meanwhile, both RCB and PBKS have also a good chance due to their good net run rate. Both the teams can win both their games and upstage MI even if the Rohit Sharma side manages to defeat SRH. If LSG and CSK lose their last match, still they have the chance to finish in the top two in points table.