Playoff Race Heats Up as MI and RCB Face Elimination

With over half of the IPL 2024 season completed, the playoff race remains wide open, with no team yet securing a berth and no team eliminated. However, the chances of Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) reaching the postseason are dwindling.

MI's playoff hopes took a significant blow after their 24-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. The five-time champions have now lost eight of their 11 matches and are on the verge of elimination. To qualify, MI must win all their remaining three games and hope for a series of favorable results from other teams.

RCB's playoff chances are also hanging by a thread. The team is currently at the bottom of the standings with only three wins from 10 games. However, they have shown signs of improvement in recent matches, winning two consecutive away games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans.

For RCB to qualify, they must win their remaining four fixtures and hope that the teams above them in the standings lose several games. The team's chances will be boosted if the winner of the upcoming SRH vs. LSG clash wins all their remaining matches, while the loser loses all three.

The remaining fixtures for MI and RCB are as follows:

MI:

* May 6: vs SRH, Wankhede Stadium

* May 11: vs KKR, Eden Gardens

* May 17: vs LSG, Wankhede Stadium

RCB:

* May 4: vs GT, Bengaluru

* May 9: vs PBKS, Dharamsala

* May 12: vs DC, Bengaluru

* May 18: vs CSK, Bengaluru

While both MI and RCB have a mathematical chance of qualifying for the playoffs, their chances are slim. They will need to win all their remaining games and hope for a series of favorable results from other teams.

Tags: #IPL2024, #PlayoffRace, #MumbaiIndians, #RoyalChallengersBengaluru, #Cricket