IPL 2019: 4 teams that are likely to qualify for the playoffs after the halfway stage

The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League is underway and after the match between Bangalore and Punjab, the tournament will begin it's second half which will mostly consist of rivalry matches.

The table seems to stand pretty evenly after 3 weeks of intense matches. Chennai is the only team which seems confident about making it to the play offs. They have been superb under the guidance of MS Dhoni, who himself has found his form back with two extremely quick match-saving fifties under a lot of pressure.

Kolkata seemed to be right on the spot after their first few matches, but the failures of their middle order have exposed their weakness and their inability to defend targets have also resulted in a couple of losses.

Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai look mostly settled and have had a couple of close matches including a super over and some last ball thrillers. Their bowling and batting departments have performed well. Though all these 3 teams have had some issues, they have mostly addressed the issues and fixed them.

Hyderabad has been a very peculiar team this IPL. Though they have the best names on paper and the individuals have performed, they haven't quite clicked as a team which is why they are still sitting at just 3 wins.

Rajasthan and Bangalore meanwhile seem out of contention for the play offs. Both have started the tournament quite poorly and they do not look good enough to make it to the top 4 teams.

The 4 teams thus who are most likely to make it to the play offs after the first half of the season are:

#1 Chennai Super Kings

The Yellow Army, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has made it to the play offs every year that they have played. Though they returned from a two-year ban last year, they won the trophy and are at the top of the table even this year. They are currently sitting with 14 points and have lost only one match. They seem to be the top contenders for this year's trophy as their weakness hasn't been exposed yet and they play well as a team.

MSD's captaincy has been on point and he has managed his team very well. He has made extremely few changes to his top order, with only Faf du Plessis being the late entrant from their first match. Their bowlers have always stepped up and the man Dhoni himself has been on the top of his game.

With a lot of experience and a set of match winners in their team, Chennai Super Kings look the strongest team to get to the playoffs and just another win in the season will help them get there.

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#2 Delhi Capitals

Delhi have looked a different team this year

Quite a surprising name on the list, Delhi's change in their name has led to a change in its fortunes too. The Capitals have been an extremely wonderful team this year. They are currently occupying the second position on the points table and look extremely strong contenders for making it to the play offs.

Delhi have a perfect team which consists of experience and young blood. They have a lot of match winners in the team and their players can single handedly take their team home on their days. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Colin Ingram and Keemo Paul have been extremely consistent while players like Rabada and Morris have been the backbone of their team.

More than the players, the two coaches have been extremely influential in helping Delhi get where they are right now. Both Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly have worked extremely hard and their connect with the team is commendable. They have played a pivotal role in Delhi's wins and quite a lot of credit has to be given to them.

The last factor that makes DC favourites for the play offs is their captain. Though unexperienced, Shreyas Iyer has been phenomenal in the field not only with the bat but with his captaincy. He has gotten most of his decisions right and has been on point with his bowling changes and field placements. He makes a perfect blend of aggression and stability and that has done wonders for his team.

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#3 Kings XI Punjab

Can Punjab make it to the play offs?

Kings XI Punjab, just like the past season, have been brilliant in the first half of this season too. Though they have won only 4 out of the 8 matches that they have played, they are likely to make it to the playoffs because they have had quite a couple of close shaves which have not gone their way.

Punjab have found in their team excellent individuals who have looked to get their team across the line. KL Rahul has been phenomenal for them this season and has been the reason for most of their victories. He has played the role of the anchor to perfection and has complemented Chris Gayle brilliantly. Mohammed Shami too has been outstanding and has been pretty consistent. He has carried his ODI form into this format of the game and has shown a lot of promise.

More than all of this, it has been Ashwin's captaincy which has made a lot of impact on the team. He has been absolutely attentive and his plans have worked for him. He seems to have a plan for every batsmen who comes on the crease and these plans are executed to perfection with the help of his performing players.

With a lot of experienced and skilled players, Punjab are likely to make it to the playoffs if they continue to perform the way they have been performing so far in the tournament.

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#4 Mumbai Indians

Despite a poor start, Mumbai look strong enough to make it to the play offs

Mumbai Indians look to be one of the most balanced sides this tournament. They are currently sitting on the 4th place in the points table. They have 4 wins out of the 7 games that they have played and look extremely comfortable to make it to the play offs. Their openers have performed and the middle order, though a little fragile, have been up to the mark. The all rounders have been extremely efficient at winning them games and their bowlers have been on point.

Mumbai Indians is one of those teams who have retained their core squad of last year and have developed them beautifully. Though they didn't make it to the playoffs last year, they are almost as certain as the word to get in the top-4 this year. Their captain has been outstanding with his decisions and even in his absence, champions like Pollard have stepped up and have taken responsibility to get their home to victory.

Their bowling however is what makes them a very strong team. They have excellent pacers in the form of Jasprit Bumrah who are very familiar with the pitch and thus do not leak runs and the Pandya brothers as usual have been phenomenal both with the bat and the ball.

With such a balanced team, Mumbai are likely to make it to the playoffs and have more chances than teams like KKR who are overly reliant on one player like Andre Russell to get them across the line every time.

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