Week 6 gave us our first round of eligibility and removal but there’s plenty at stake in the final pair of group games. Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals were the first sides through to the play while we stated an inevitable goodbye to Royal Challengers Bangalore following their rain-ruined match with Rajasthan Royals.
Week 7 begins with five franchises chasing those two remaining playoff slots. What do we have in store over the few days?
Mumbai on the Brink
Mumbai Indians can combine CSK along with the Capitals in the next round should they conquer Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. Mumbai have the support of the bookmakers here since Rohit Sharma’s men go away at -161, while SRH are on offer at +130.
There is surely a potential for an upset but everything depends on how the Sunrisers react to the loss of important personnel. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner have both left to report for international duty ahead of the World Cup therefore Hyderabad want Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill to step up. Mumbai have less worries and increased squad thickness and they should seal that third playoff slot.
Friday Showdown
If Mumbai do undergo, Friday’s competition between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders might have a big say in determining the final playoff place. Both teams are secured on 10 points ahead of the match and the winner will have the opportunity to fight it out with the Sunrisers to get a top four finish. As for the odds, the market is predictably tight using Kings XI Punjab marginal favourites at -105,followed closely by KKR in +100.
This could be as tight as the marketplace indicates and while Kings barely deserve to be classed as favourites, they have the in-form batsmen who can decide the destiny of the tie. It’s up to Chris Gayle and KL Rahul and some overdue assistance from David Miller, and when these batsmen fire, we could anticipate Punjab to snatch the points.
Closing Weekend
It’s our final weekend of group games and by Sunday night, the initial pair of playoff fixtures will probably be confirmed. It begins on Saturday morning as the Delhi Capitals host Rajasthan Royals and both teams should still be needing these points. The Royals have faint hopes of qualifying while Delhi are aiming to finish within the top two.
The Capitals are some way forward in the markets at -175, while Rajasthan sit +137. There might be scope for an upset here nonetheless, and Delhi’s dramatic batting collapse against Chennai on Wednesday suggests they’re running out of steam at this late stage of the season.
Next up would be the Royal Challengers who sign off on another disappointing effort. Sunrisers Hyderabad are the traffic to the M Chinnaswamy and, while we wait for odds to come in on this one, SRH should begin as slight favourites. RCB are the toughest team to forecast this year and with Hyderabad suffering from group withdrawals, Virat Kohli and his men have a fantastic opportunity to depart IPL 12 using a win.
On to Sunday and we start with Kings XI Punjab hosting table toppers Chennai Super Kings. KXIP have a faint chance of qualifying at the time of writing but they are known for slipping in shape throughout the second half of their effort. We’ve seen signs of that in the second half of those groups and we expect the Super Kings to take advantage and ship Punjab home.
Read more: sporttobet.com
Comments
