As the league stage of the IPL 2024 came to an end with the last match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders washed out due to heavy showers in Guwahati, the focus will be shifted towards the knockout or playoffs stage with four teams vying for the spot in the Final.
Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 on May 21, while Rajasthan Royals will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator on May 22. Both matches will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Shreyas Iyer-led KKR finished the league stage as table toppers while Pat Cummins's SRH secured the second spot after defeating Punjab Kings in the last match before the playoffs.
Sanju Samson's RR finished at the third spot after their last league stage match abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain in Guwahati and Faf du Plessis-led RCB took the fourth position on the points table after achieving the playoffs qualification criteria against the IPL 2023 champions Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru on May 18, Saturday.
Qualfier 1 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad finished their league stage of IPL 2024 in top two and thus, they will square off in the Qualifier 1 of the knockout stage.
KKR and SRH have had a great season in the ongoing IPL 2024 and the clash between two teams is expected to be an exciting as both sides will be aiming to directly qualify for the Final, scheduled to take place on May 26 in Chennai. Shreyas Iyer-led KKR won nine games while Pat Cummins's SRH have eight wins in their 14 outings.
The winner of the Qualifier 1 will get direct entry into the IPL 2024 Final, while the losing team will have to playing in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator in order to make it to the title clash of the season.
The weather in Ahmedabad is unpredictable as the last match between Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned without a toss due to have showers.
If Qualifier 1 gets washed out due to rain in Ahmedabad, then the match will be played on the reserve day. Even if the match doesn't any produce result on the reserve day, then the table toppers, Kolkata Knight Riders, will qualify for the Final, and Sunrisers Hyderabad will get another chance to make it to the title clash by playing in Qualifier 2.
Eliminator - Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Rajasthan Royals will square off Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator of the IPL 2024. The Eliminator is like knockout game as either of teams loses, then they will be eliminated from the tournament and further chance to advance to the next stage.
Rajasthan Royals have had a great season but their winless streak in the last five matches have became cause of concern ahead of the playoffs. While, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had an incredible turnaround by winning six matches on the trot after breaking shackles of six successive defeats.
In the Eliminator, the winning team will play in the Qualifier 2 against the losing team in the Qualifier 1. The Qualifier 2 is like the second semifinal of the IPL 2024 as the winning team will book their spot for the Final against the winner of Qualifier 1.
If the match gets washed out due to rain, then the match will be played on the reserve day. In case the reserve day gets abandoned due to bad weather, then Rajasthan Royals will make it to the next stage of the knockout i.e. Qualifier 2.
