IPL 2022: Which 4 Teams Will Qualify For The Playoffs ?

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League is about to reach the end of its league stage and the fight has gotten more exciting than ever. The race for the playoffs is getting stiffer and with no team yet qualified for the top spot, the top 4 slots are wide open.

The playoffs including 2 qualifiers, 1 eliminator and 1 Final match, are scheduled to take place from 24th May - 29th May.

The 1st Qualifier and Eliminator will take place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the 2nd Qualifier and the Final match is scheduled for Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Let’s take a look at the 5 teams of IPL 2022 which are likely to proceed to the playoffs.

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans are sitting at the top of the points with 8 wins in 10 matches so far. After 8 wins in 9 matches, GT lost their 2nd match of the season against PBKS. But with 16 points on the table, they don’t have to worry about qualifying for the playoffs. They just need one more victory out of the upcoming 4 matches.

GT is having a dream debut season. Hardik Pandya-led franchise has won some of the most exciting matches of the IPL 2022. In the first head to head against Punjab Kings, GT required 12 runs off the last 2 balls to win the match and to everyone’s surprise, Rahul Tewatia smashed 2 back-to-back sixes off Odean Smith’s bowling.

GT’s place in the playoffs is confirmed but if they will be able to defeat RCB and LSG, then they will be sure to have a place in the top 2 spots of the table. 

Lucknow Super Giants

LSG recruited a strong squad in the mega auction in February. They appointed KL Rahul as the captain of the side.

In their first ever IPL match, they lost to the fellow debuting franchise Gujarat Titans but backed themselves up pretty well after that. They won 3 matches in a row after, defeating the IPL giants like CSK, SRH and DC.

Currently LSG is at the 2nd spot on the points table with 7 wins from 10 matches. They are on a 3-match winning streak and look in confident form.

If LSG win 2 of their next 4 matches then they will reach 18 points, hence, an easy entry into the playoffs. In the next 4 matches, LSG will take on KKR twice and RR and GT.

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals, undoubtedly, have one of the best squads this season. This is the result of their smart bids at the mega auction. Their batting and bowling line-up is of great quality.

This season has been a turnaround for the RR team, after finishing at the 7th spot in the last season.

After winning 6 matches out of 10 so far, Rajasthan is currently having 12 points. Their qualification scenario for playoffs looks quite certain from here but if they wish to finish in the top 2 spots of the table then they have to win 3 out of their next 4 matches which is a little tough but not impossible at all for such a strong team.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

After losing the first match of the season to PBKS, RCB picked themselves up pretty strong and went on to win 3 matches in a row. Later on, 3-match defeat brought them down on the table.

The team entered the 2022 season of IPL with a new skipper Faf du Plessis and a new look to their jersey.

Currently, RCB is at the 4th spot on the table with 6 wins in 11 matches. In the last outing, RCB defeated CSK by 13 runs.

To confirm their place in the playoffs, RCB need to win all their upcoming matches. If they lose any of the upcoming matches, then they have to wish for other results to go in their favour.

In the remaining 3 matches, RCB will face SRH, PBKS and GT. Things might look a little difficult for RCB as they have lost the first head to head contest with all of these 3 teams.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

After losing the first 2 matches, SRH came back stronger and won 5 matches in a row and jumped to the top section of the table. They are currently at the 5th spot with 5 wins out of 9 matches.

They are quite likely to proceed to the playoffs.

They are yet to play 5 more matches and their opponents are going to be DC, RCB, KKR, MI and PBKS.

By winning even 3 out of the next 5 matches, SRH can attain 16 points and get into the playoffs, although a spot in the top 2 is a little difficult for them.