Punjab Kings (PSG) ended their rut of six consecutive defeats with a clinical seven-wicket win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday (May 23). Though they haven’t sealed playoff qualification yet, the Shreyas Iyer-led side has given itself the best chance to do it.
With their victory over LSG, the PBKS finish the group stage with 15 points. Because the top three teams have already qualified with 18 points, PBKS’ entire tournament depends on the final two matches on Sunday to see who takes the fourth and final playoff spot.
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First, PBKS desperately needs the Mumbai Indians (MI) to defeat the Rajasthan Royals (RR). RR currently have 14 points with one game left.
If RR win that match, they will reach 16 points and automatically take the final playoff spot, which would immediately eliminate PBKS. A MI victory keeps RR stuck at 14 points, keeping Punjab alive.
Second, Punjab needs to watch the result between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens. If DC — who PBKS eliminated by beating LSG on Saturday — win this match, KKR will stay at 13 points and DC will only reach 14 points, meaning PBKS will safely qualify with their 15 points.
If KKR win that match, they will tie with PBKS at 15 points. In this case, the spot will be decided by net run rate. PBKS currently have a solid edge in run rate over KKR, so as long as KKR do not win by a massive, overwhelming margin, PBKS will still advance to the playoffs.
More to follow…
