The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs kick-off on May 21, with the final to be played on May 26.
Guwahati: Four losses on the trot and a rain washout against table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday in their final league game put Rajasthan Royals out of the top two race as the inaugural champions finished third in the table in the ongoing Indian Premier League. While KKR finished on 20 points with nine wins and two more solitary points courtesy wash-outs, Sunrisers Hyderabad (17 points) pipped Rajathan Royals (17 points) by virtue of better Net Run Rate (NRR). SRH finished with NRR of 0.414 compared to Rajasthan Royals’ 0.273. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished fourth.
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The Sanju Samson-led side would blame themselves for getting into a nice little rut after an incredible run during the first half of the tournament when they had won eight out of their nine games. On the other hand, SRH, a team that redefined power-hitting with optimum use of ‘Impact Sub’, had one of their best chases on Sunday.
Needed a win to move into top two, SRH bowlers were taken all over the park by Punjab Kings batters as the visitors scored 214/5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. But a 28-ball 66 by Abhishek Sharma and a 26-ball 42 from Heinrich Klaasen helped SRH chase the target with five balls to spare. It also bolstered their NRR just when it was needed.
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IPL 2024 Playoffs Format
In the Playoffs, KKR will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 with the winner advancing to the final directly. The loser will get another shot for a place in the final in Qualifier 1 where they will take on the winner of the Eliminator to be played between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Whoever wins the Qualifier 2 will enter the final.
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IPL 2024 Playoffs Schedule, Venues, Match Timings
Qualifier 1: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, May 21 (Tuesday), at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 7.30 PM IST
Eliminator: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals, May 22 (Wednesday), at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 7.30 PM IST
Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator, May 24 (Friday), at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7.30 PM IST
IPL 2024 Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2, May 26 (Sunday), at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7.30 PM IST
