IPL 2023 playoff: CSK will qualify or not; here is details

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a disappointing defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk by seven wickets on Sunday. IPL 2023 playoff: CSK will qualify or not; here is details.

A win against KKR would have made sure CSK seal the qualification into the playoffs and also the top two spot finish would have handed them two chances of reaching the final.

The defeat at their home fortress Chepauk has handed MS Dhoni’s side a major roadblock as their top-two spot finish is in doubt now. CSK no longer have their place in Qualifier 1 now.

How can CSK miss out on the playoffs?The situation for CSK in the playoffs remains simple. If they win their final league stage match on Saturday (May 20) against the Delhi Capitals, they will qualify for the knockout stage regardless of other results.

However, if they lose that game and both Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants win at least one of their two remaining games alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) winning both matches;

All of them will have a minimum of 16 points on the board, with CSK stuck on 15, meaning they will not qualify for the playoffs. It is worth remembering that the Gujarat Titans already have 16 points on the board.

CSK’s hopes of having two shots at the final, with one of them being at Chepauk, are now no longer in their hands. If the Mumbai Indians (MI) win their remaining two games against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), they will finish with 18 points, while CSK can have a maximum of 17.

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If LSG beat MI and then win their last game against KKR, they will also finish on 17. The NRR gap between CSK and LSG is a narrow one, which the Lucknow-based outfit will back themselves to beat.