Indian Premier League 2019 Playoffs scenario after RR vs DC: What does each team need to qualify?

Cricketer fraternity was in for a pleasant surprise when, in the 40th match of the tournament, Delhi Capitals pipped Chennai Super Kings to reach the top of the IPL 2019 points table. This is an unusual position for them, a team that has never been a regular feature in the top four, let alone at the top. This is what the points table looks like at this point.

Team	M	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
Delhi Capitals	11	7	4	0	14	+0.181
Chennai Super Kings	10	7	3	0	14	+0.087
Mumbai Indians	10	6	4	0	12	+0.357
Sunrisers Hyderabad	9	5	4	0	10	+0.737
Kings XI Punjab	10	5	5	0	10	-0.044
Kolkata Knight Riders	10	4	6	0	8	-0.013
Rajasthan Royals	10	3	7	0	6	-0.470
Royal Challengers Bangalore	10	3	7	0	6	-0.836

While there have been exceptions, 16 points are usually considered the cut-off for an eight-team tournament. Let us see what each team needs at this stage.

Delhi Capitals: One win from 3 matches should do it for them, while all three will guarantee them a place in Qualifier 1. They get to play Bangalore and Rajasthan, both of whom they have beaten in the tournament. Their other match is against Chennai.

Chennai Super Kings: Chennai need to win 2 matches out of 4 to guarantee a berth. Unfortunately, 2 of these 4 matches will be against Mumbai and Hyderabad, who have beaten them in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians: Mumbai have bounced back after losing their first 3 matches. They now need to win 3 out of 4. Two of these matches will be against Kolkata, who have lost their last 5 matches.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: With 5 matches still to play, Hyderabad are actually placed better than Mumbai. They need for 3 wins, and three of their oppositions in these 5 matches – Punjab, Rajasthan, and Chennai – have lost to them.

Kings XI Punjab: Punjab have been featuring and slipping out of the top four throughout the tournament. Unfortunately, they need 3 wins, and three of their remaining matches will be against teams that have defeated them.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Time is running out for Kolkata. They were at the top of the table, having won 4 of their first 5 matches. Five consecutive defeats later, they have slipped to sixth spot. They ideally need to win all 4 matches, never an easy task.

Rajasthan Royals: All 4 wins won’t do it for Rajasthan at this stage. They need help from other sides as well, especially Chennai and Delhi.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Just like Rajasthan, all 4 wins won’t do it for Bangalore either. They need help from other sides as well, especially Chennai and Delhi.