IPL 2019: How Chennai Super Kings can still fail to qualify for the playoffs

The league stage of the 12th edition of IPL is about to end. The battle has been intense to grab the top four spots in the points table.

Chennai Super Kings is still enjoying the top spot with 16 points from 12 games. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have 14 points each from 11 games and are at the second and third positions respectively. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab have 10 points each and both of them will be eyeing the 4th spot which is the last ticket to the playoffs.

Even though the CSK are the favourites to get into the playoffs, let us look at the possibility of them getting eliminated in the league stage itself, of course, it's a rare probability.

Lets have a look at the points table as of now.

IPL Points table (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com)

Suppose the following results occur in the upcoming matches:

1. Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Winners - Sunrisers Hyderabad (Venue- Jaipur)

2. Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Winners - Delhi Capitals (Venue- Delhi)

3. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians: Winners - Mumbai Indians (Venue- Kolkata)

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab: Winners - Kings XI Punjab (Venue- Hyderabad)

5. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals: Winners - Irrelevant (Venue- Bengaluru)

6. Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals: Winners - Delhi Capitals (Venue- Chennai)

7. Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Winners - Sunrisers Hyderabad (Venue- Mumbai)

8.Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Winners - Kings XI Punjab (Venue- Mohali)

9. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals: Winners - Delhi Capitals (Venue- Delhi)

10. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Winners - Sunrisers Hyderabad (Venue-Bengaluru)

11. Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings: Winners - Kings XI Punjab (Venue- Mohali)

12. Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Winners - Mumbai Indians (Venue-Mumbai)

If the results go by this way, the Delhi Capitals will top the charts with 20 points and Mumbai Indians will come second with 18 points.

Only two teams among the Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab will get into the next stage, even though all the three teams will have 16 points each, Sunrisers Hyderabad with an excellent net run-rate will grab the third spot straight away.

With 3 successive wins, the KXIP will obviously have a better NRR than CSK, whose two losses will reduce the NRR, which will eventually push the CSK out of the playoffs.

All of these are just assumptions. Being the most successful franchise in the IPL history, the CSK fans wouldn't want their favourite to get eliminated in such an unlucky fashion. On the positive side, just one more win will cement their place in the playoffs too.

Since cricket is such an unpredictable sport, we can't be certain about any possibility anything upfront. Let's wait and see how the playoffs permutations pan out.