Who needs what to reach IPL play-offs?

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Jos Buttler and Virat KohliImage source, Getty Images/BCCI

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Jos Buttler's Gujarat Titans and Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru are two of the teams in contention

The race the qualify for the play-off stage of the Indian Premier League is on.

Seven teams can still finish in the top four with only two points between the top five.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings are all out of contention. Here's what the rest need to qualify...

IPL table as it stands

Each team plays 14 matches in the IPL group stage with the top four reaching the play-offs. Each win is worth two points.

IPL qualification permutations

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Position: First Played: 11 Points: 16 Maximum points: 22

Remaining fixtures: Lucknow Super Giants (a), Sunrisers Hyderabad (h), Kolkata Knight Riders (h)

Two wins from RCB's remaining three games would guarantee progression.

One win is likely to be enough but there is a scenario where they are knocked out despite having 18 points.

Punjab Kings

Position: Second Played: 11 Points: 15 Maximum points: 21

Remaining fixtures: Delhi Capitals (h), Mumbai Indians (h), Rajasthan Royals (a)

Two wins from their remaining three games will also guarantee Punjab Kings make it to the play-offs.

One win could be enough but it will rely on other results going their way.

Mumbai Indians

Position: Third Played: 11 Points: 14 Maximum points: 20

Remaining fixtures: Gujarat Titans (h), Punjab Kings (a), Delhi Capitals (h)

Mumbai Indians are in a strong position, given they have the best net run-rate of all of the teams this year.

They need three wins to be certain of going through but two, possibly even one, could be enough.

Gujarat Titans

Position: Fourth Played: 10 Points: 14 Maximum points: 22

Remaining fixtures: Mumbai Indians (a), Delhi Capitals (a), Lucknow Super Giants (h), Chennai Super Kings (h)

Gujarat Titans have a game in hand on all of their play-off rivals.

Two wins from their final four games will likely be enough enough given their net run-rate is only bettered by Mumbai's.

Three wins would confirm a play-off spot for Jos Buttler and the Titans.

Delhi Capitals

Position: Fifth Played: 11 Points: 13 Maximum points: 19

Remaining fixtures: Punjab Kings (a), Gujarat Titans (h), Mumbai Indians (a)

Delhi Capitals were boosted by taking a point from their washout against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday - a game in which they were facing defeat at 29-5.

It means three wins would send them through, while two would likely have them right in the mix.

Delhi's remaining matches are all against sides above them, however.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Position: Sixth Played: 11 Points: 11 Maximum points: 17

Remaining fixtures: Chennai Super Kings (h), Sunrisers Hyderabad (a), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (a)

KKR were champions in 2024 but their fate is out of their hands this year.

They could go out even if they win all three of their matches, given five teams can still get to 18 points.

Saying that, it is not impossible that Kolkata lose one of their final three and still go through.

Lucknow Super Giants

Position: Seventh Played: 11 Points: 10 Maximum points: 16

Remaining fixtures: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (h), Gujarat Titans (a), Sunrisers Hyderabad (h)

Lucknow were third in the standings after six matches but now have only the slimmest of chances of progressing.

They can only get to 16 points so are reliant on other results and have the worst net run-rate of all of the teams still in contention.

Another defeat will knock them out.

Who has been eliminated?

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, last year's runner-up Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have all been eliminated.

How do IPL play-offs work?

The opening match in the play-offs is between the teams that finished first and second in the league phase. The winner goes straight into the final on Sunday, 25 May.

The third and fourth-placed teams then meet in the eliminator.

The loser is knocked out while the winner plays the side that lost the first play-off match for the chance to compete in the final.

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