IPL 2024 Playoffs: Qualified Teams, Schedule, Venues and Match Timings
The action in the IPL is about to get even more intense! The league stage is over, and four teams are gearing up for the high-pressure playoffs: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
KKR, led by their strong performance throughout the season, finished at the top of the table with 20 points. Hot on their heels are SRH with 17 points, followed closely by RR, also with 17 points. RCB clinched the last playoff spot with a thrilling win against the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in a nail-biting final league match.
Talking about the recent game which was played on Saturday, between Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), RCB batted first, with key contributions from Virat Kohli (47 runs), Faf du Plessis (54 runs), and Rajat Patidar (41 runs) helping them reach a competitive total of 218 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.
However, for RCB to qualify for the playoffs, they needed to restrict CSK to 200 runs or below. The match remained on a knife’s edge as Ravindra Jadeja (42* runs) and MS Dhoni (25 runs) threatened to take the game away from RCB. But thanks to some last-over heroics from young fast bowler Yash Dayal, RCB managed to restrict CSK to 191 runs for 7 wickets, securing a crucial 27-run victory and their place in the playoffs.
Here’s a breakdown of the playoff format and schedule:
The Matches:
There are three crucial matches that will decide the IPL 2024 champion:
Qualifier 1 (May 21st): KKR, the table topper, will face-off against SRH at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The winner of this match goes straight to the final, while the loser gets a second chance.
Eliminator (May 22nd): In another Ahmedabad clash, RCB will battle it out against RR. The winner stays alive in the tournament and advances to Qualifier 2, while the loser is knocked out.
Qualifier 2 (May 24th): This match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The loser of Qualifier 1 gets a shot at redemption against the winner of the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 2 gets to challenge the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final showdown.
The Final (May 26th): The ultimate battle! The winner of Qualifier 1 and the winner of Qualifier 2 will lock horns at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai to claim the coveted IPL 2024 trophy.
IPL 2024 playoffs fixtures, venues and match timings:
Qualifier 1: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 21 May (Tuesday), 7.30 pm IST at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Eliminator: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals, 22 May (Wednesday), 7.30 pm IST at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Qualifier 2: TBC vs TBC, 24 May (Friday), 7.30 pm IST at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The Final: TBC vs TBC, 26 May (Sunday), 7.30 pm IST at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Who will emerge victorious? All the teams are strong contenders, and with the pressure mounting, every match promises to be a nail-biter. Make sure you don’t miss the exciting action as the best teams in the IPL battle it out for ultimate glory!