The league phase of the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) is in its last stage now. Out of the ten teams, 8 have only one league game left while remaining two will play two more games. Even now, only one team – Gujarat Titans – has managed to seal its spot in the playoffs. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are already out of the playoffs race. For the remaining three playoffs spot, seven teams are still in contention. So as the final stage of the league stage gets underway, we are taking a look at qualification scenarios.
Here is the points table after Match 64 of IPL 2022:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
| GT (Q) | 13 | 10 | 3 | 20 | 0.391 |
| RR | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.304 |
| LSG | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.262 |
| DC | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0.255 |
| RCB | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | -0.323 |
| KKR | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 0.16 |
| PBKS | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | -0.043 |
| SRH | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.27 |
| CSK | 13 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -0.206 |
| MI | 12 | 3 | 9 | 6 | -0.613 |
Here’s what the teams in hunt need to do to progress ahead:
Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants:
Rajasthan Royals are currently at the second spot in the points table with 8 wins from 13 games and a healthy net run-rate. The Sanju Samson-led side are almost assured of a place in the next stage. A win in their last league game will not only seal their playoffs spot but can also seal a place in the top two. Even if they lose their final game which is against Chennai Super Kings, the Royals are likely to progress to the playoffs if they manage to avoid a heavy defeat.
Just like Royals, Lucknow Super Giants also have 8 wins from 13 games. The KL Rahul-led side are also looking set to make it to the playoffs. Even if they lose their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders, they are likely to progress ahead if they manage to avoid a big defeat. On the other hand, a win will straightaway seal a playoffs spot for them.
Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Both Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore have won 7 of their 13 games. However, Delhi have a big advantage over Bangalore due to their superior net run-rate. Sitting at the fourth spot in the points table, Delhi’s net run-rate is 0.255. On the other hand, fifth-placed Bangalore’s net run-rate is -0.323. A win for Delhi would be enough to progress to the playoffs. They can also seal a spot in the top two if both Lucknow and Rajasthan lose their last game.
RCB, on the other hand, are in a spot of bother. Their fate is not entirely in their own hands. RCB are likely to be eliminated from IPL 2022 if Delhi go on to win their final league game. For RCB to progress to the playoffs, they will need to win their last game against Gujarat Titans and hope that Mumbai Indians do them a favour by beating Delhi Capitals. In that scenario, they will end the league phase with 16 points, two more than Delhi’s tally.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are currently at the sixth and seventh spot respectively with 6 wins from 13 games. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, are at the eighth spot with 5 wins from 12 games. If all the three teams win their remaining league games, they will end up with 14 points. The trio, however, do not have fate in their own hands. They need other results to go their way in order to make it to the playoffs. If either Bangalore beat Gujarat or Delhi get the better of Mumbai, all three of them will be knocked out irrespective of their remaining results. So KKR, PBKS and SRH first need Mumbai and Gujarat to win their respective games. The trio will then need to win their games before the net run-rate comes into equation.