The Indian Premier League is hurtling towards the juncture where the play-offs picture becomes clearer.
Unlike previous seasons, this year several teams have been competitive, which has resulted in points being more evenly distributed and possibly only one clear favourite emerging.
So far, defending champions Gujarat Titans have stormed to the top of the points table with six wins and just two defeats – one of them being an extraordinary loss to Kolkata where Rinku Singh hit an unprecedented five sixes in the final over to steal victory.
The rest of the points table is far more fluid with teams moving up and down multiple spots after each game.
Lower down the table, Delhi Capitals seem one step away from an early end to what has been a sorry season. However, given how fortunes can turn around in the final weeks of a two-month long tournament, there is still a faint hope.
So, how are the teams placed in the play-offs race?
The top four teams at the end of the opening phase – where all teams play 14 games – will qualify for the next stage.
From there, the top two teams on the points table will play the first qualifier for a chance to enter directly into the final. The third and fourth teams on the points table play an eliminator, the winners of which will face the losers of the opening qualifier for a chance to grab the second final spot.
As things stand on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders are closest to the danger mark. Both teams have already lost six matches. Last year, that became the cut-off mark for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who made it to the play-offs with eight wins and six defeats as the fourth best team.
Neither Delhi or Kolkata can afford to lose even one more game as they can then only end up with seven wins and as many defeats, which is unlikely to be enough for qualification.
At the top of the table, defending champions Gujarat are comfortably placed and three more wins should secure passage to the next stage, while two wins out of their next six games could also possibly prove adequate.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are also teetering towards the edge with five defeats already from eight games.
Incredibly, teams from second to seventh on the table have all lost four games each, which should keep all of their hopes alive for the next couple of weeks.
Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians
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Gujarat Titans' Shubman Gill celebrates his half-century in the IPL clash with Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 25, 2023. Gill finished with 56 off 34 balls. AFP -
Gujarat Titans players celebrate after the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Tim David by Noor Ahmad. AFP -
Gujarat Titan's Shubman Gill hits out. AP -
Gujarat Titan's Shubman Gill plays a shot. AP -
Mumbai Indians' Kumar Kartikeya, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Titans' Shubman Gill. AFP -
Gujarat Titans' Abhinav Manohar plays a shot on his way to a total of 42 off 21 deliveries. AFP -
Gujarat Titan's Rahul Tewatia, left, fist bumps with his batting partner David Miller. AP -
Gujarat Titans' David Miller made 46 off 22 balls. AFP -
Gujarat Titans' captain Hardik Pandya, right, celebrates after dismissing Mumbai Indians' captain Rohit Sharma. AFP -
Mumbai Indians' Arjun Tendulkar, left, celebrates with teammates after getting Titans' Wriddhiman Saha out. AFP -
Mumbai Indians' Piyush Chawla celebrates after his dismissal of Gujarat Titans' Vijay Shankar. AFP -
Gujarat Titan's Noor Ahmad, left, celebrates with teammate Wriddhiman Saha the dismissal of Mumbai Indian's Cameron Green. AP -
Mumbai Indian's Cameron Green is bowled out by Noor Ahmad for 33 runs off 26 balls. AP -
Mumbai Indians' Cameron Green. AP
