Depsite conceeding defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the MS Dhoni and co. are still hot favourites for a top four finish in IPL 2023 after the league stage.
CSK put up a total of 144/6, with KKR chasing it down in 18.3 overs driven by Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh’s fifties.
In the battle of spinners Kolkata bowlers outplayed their Chennai counterpart as the visitors first restricted MS Dhoni and co. to a below-par 144 for 6. Nitish and Rinku then produced a stunning 99-run match-winning fourth wicket partnership, denying the hosts spinners a single wicket, chasing down the target with 9 balls to spare. A spin show from Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine was followed by impressive fifties from skipper Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh helped the team ease past MS Dhoni and co to grab two points.
Rana remained unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls while Rinku made 54 off 43 deliveries to set up KKR’s chase after they lost their first three wickets for 33 runs inside the fifth over.
The win over the four-time winners helped KKR jump to No. 7 in the IPL 2023 points table, and they are still in the race to qualify for the last four. Whereas a defeat in their last home game of the ongoing season has now put Chennai in a must-win situation against the Delhi Capitals in their last game. With 15 points from 13 games, CSK sits in second place, but if they lose against DC on May 20 in Delhi, they might get knocked out of the competition as well.
Let’s look at how all the teams are stacked against each other
Gujarat Titians: The defending champions are on top of the table after 12 matches and are one step away from booking their place in the IPL qualifiers.
CSK: The four-time IPL winners are 2nd in the IPL 2023 table after playing 13 matches.
Mumbai Indians: The five-time IPL winners are 3rd in the IPL 2023 table after 12 matches and are one of the teams in prime form after winning back-to-back matches this season.
Lucknow Super Giants: The Krunal Pandya-led team are sitting on the 4th spot on the IPL 2023 table after 12 matches and are one of the teams who are fighting for the 3rd and 4th spot of the IPL playoffs.
RCB: The Faf Du Plessis led team is 5th on the IPL 2023 table after 12 matches and are one of the teams who are fighting for the IPL playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals: Stands on 6th spot in the IPL 2023 table and with just one game to go, their chances of qualifying have faded.
Punjab Kings: The Shikhar Dhawan led team is on the 8th position on the IPL 2023 table and are the only team left who are still in with slim chance of qualifying for the playoff place.
Fans can no longer see Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in action. KKR are 7th on the table with 12 points in 13 games, followed by SRH with 8 points in 11 games and DC with 8 points in 12 matches.