The round-robin phase of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League wrapped up on 5 May when the Mumbai Indians secured top spot with an emphatic nine-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The result also crushed the Knight Riders’ hopes of grabbing the fourth and final play-off place away from the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the last moment.
Joining the Sunrisers and Indians in the play-offs are the two most consistent sides of the tournament, the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.
Tuesday 7 May
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (16:30)
Mumbai Indians 91/100
Tie 35/1
Chennai Super Kings 91/100
The Mumbai Indians are the designated the home team despite the match being played out on their opponents’ home ground, which was preselected to host the first qualifier before the outset of the tournament.
The winner of Qualifier 1 will go straight into the final of IPL 12, while the losers get a second shot in Qualifier 2, where they will face the winner of the eliminator.
Mumbai have made a strong finish to the tournament, winning three of their last four matches and claiming top spot off the Chennai Super Kings on the final day.
CSK remain favourites to take the title – an idea entrenched by their dominant style of play. The Super Kings were the first side to qualify for the play-offs and might have been guilty of easing off. They haven’t really been punished for that, as scheduling has given them unearned home advantage for the Qualifier.
Both sides have benefitted from the presence of in-form Proteas, with Imran Tahir taking 21 wickets for CSK, while Quinton de Kock has scored 492 runs and is the tournament’s fourth-leading scorer.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been given a lot of work to do for a man whose finishing powers are allegedly on the decline, but he has so far been up to the task of getting CSK over the line.
Verdict: Playing at home will give CSK the edge.
Wednesday 8 May
ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam (16:30)
Delhi Capitals 21/20
Tie 35/1
Sunrisers Hyderabad 82/100
The Capitals might have thought they had done enough to secure a place in the qualifier only to see the Mumbai Indians pip them at the post, but the team they face are lucky to be in the knockout stages at all.
The Sunrisers have lost four of their last five matches in the IPL – and were fortunate that other results went their way on the final weekend.
The Hyderabad franchise have lost their two best batsmen – David Warner and Jonny Bairstow – to international commitments, and Manish Pandey has had to do a job solo. Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t found his best form in the tournament, but there have been encouraging cameos from Afghanistan all-rounders Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.
The Capitals had Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada yanked from the tournament after the paceman’s complaints of a stiff back got back to Cricket South Africa. Chris Morris has done a decent job at the death, but the Capitals will miss the excellence of Rabada.
The Sunrisers are the only team in the play-offs that have lost more games than they have won this season, with the other three all registering nine wins and five defeats.
Verdict: The Capitals should book themselves a place in the second qualifier.
Written by @JonhenryWilson
