IPL
Sunrisers Hyderabad kept the race for the fourth place play-off alive by beating Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in Dubai. With this win, they have moved to the fifth spot and three teams are no tied on eight points. However, Rajasthan Royals have played one game more than the rest and this loss has hurt their playoff chances in a big way.
Updated : Oct 23, 2020, 07:09 AM IST | Edited by : Siddharth Vishwanathan
The race for the fourth place play-off spot in IPL 2020 has intensified with Sunrisers Hyderabad thrashing Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. With this win, Sunrisers Hyderabad has moved to the fifth spot and their net run-rate has also improved marginally to 0.092. Rajasthan Royals, having played one game more than the rest of the sides, are now in a precarious position after the loss. Their next three games are a must-win and a loss could see them getting eliminated from the race. In a way, the Sunrisers Hyderabad win has opened the doors for even Chennai Super Kings to have a faint chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
The win for Sunrisers Hyderabad makes the game between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Sharjah important for MS Dhoni’s team as a win could take them off the bottom. However, with potentially four teams on eight points, the race for the fourth spot will boil down to net run-rate. The double-headers on Saturday between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will be vital for KKR and a slip-up could further erode their playoff chances.
The clash between Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad could determine which team takes the leap to the fourth spot provided Delhi Capitals seal their win over Kolkata Knight Riders. If Chennai Super Kings lose to Royal Challengers Bangalore, then their playoff chances are all but over.
Teams | Matches | Won | Lost | Points | Net Run-Rate |
Delhi Capitals | 10 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0.774 |
Royal Challengers Bangalore | 10 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0.182 |
Mumbai Indians | 9 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 1.201 |
Kolkata Knight Riders | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | -0.828 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 0.092 |
Kings XI Punjab | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | -0.177 |
Rajasthan Royals | 11 | 4 | 7 | 8 | -0.620 |
Chennai Super Kings | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | -0.463 |
Purple and Orange Cap holders
The Orange Cap race is still led by KL Rahul and he has a chance to extend his good form when Kings XI Punjab take on Sunrisers Hyderabad. Shikhar Dhawan would be aiming to take his consistency to a different level when he squares off against Kolkata Knight Riders. Mayank Agarwal may have suffered a dip in form but he is still in the top three. Among the bowlers, the fight for the third spot is intense with Jofra Archer putting on a superb display against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Orange Cap (top three)
KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab): M – 10 R – 540, Average – 67.5, Strike-rate – 135.68
Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals): M - 10, R - 465, Average - 66.43, Strike-rate - 149.04
Mayank Agarwal (Kings XI Punjab): M – 10, R – 398, Average: 39.8, Strike-rate – 155.47
Purple cap (top three)
Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals): M – 10, Wickets – 21, Average – 14.33
Mohammed Shami (Kings XI Punjab): M – 10, Wickets – 16, Average – 20.38
Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals): M - 11, Wickets - 15, Average - 19.27