IPL 2021 Points Table: Updated standings and qualifying scenarios after PBKS trounce CSK

"Where was this KL Rahul?" It's a question that'll stay on everybody's mind for weeks after the Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain bullied his way through a massive six-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Thursday.

After being put in to bat first, CSK's batsmen looked like ducks out of the water as they limped to a sub-par 134-6 on the Dubai surface. Only Faf du Plessis stood out with his 55-ball 76. For PBKS, Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan were magnificent in their economic two-wicket spells and played a key role in the defense.

PBKS needed to chase the total as quickly as possible to have a shot at reaching the the no.4 spot in the points table. Their skipper did exactly that by breaking his season-long shackles to hit an exhillirating 42-ball 98. He struck at 233.33 and used his eighth six of the day to finish the game with as many as seven overs too many.

A look at the updated IPL 2021 Points Table

PBKS are now breathing down the throat of KKR. (PC: IPLT20.com)

What does this mean for PBKS?

At the end of the first innings, PBKS needed to chase the total in an impossible 17 balls to close out the NRR gap with the fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, the effort has brought their net run rate (NRR) to -0.001, enough to leapfrog Mumbai Indians (MI) to sit in fifth spot in the points table and come quite close to KKR.

If Rajasthan Royals (RR) bat first against KKR, they'll have to win by more than 70 runs to keep PBKS in contention for the fourth spot. Even then, Rahul's qualifying dreams will hinge on MI either losing to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday or not winning by a margin that'll elapse the -0.047 NRR gap between MI and PBKS.

What does this mean for CSK?

CSK have already qualified so the impact of their last league-stage game is all on their chances for a crucial top-two finish. Their NRR has received some metronomic blows in its last three consecutive defeats and is now at just +0.455 points.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who will play against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Thursday, will need a win with a margin high enough to eclipse the +0.614 NRR difference. If they aren't able to do that, CSK will automatically make it to Sunday's Qualifier.

Impact on other teams in the points table

Except for MI's one-spot slip to seventh position, no other team moved in the points table. However, PBKS' win has added even more context to the KKR vs RR encounter.

Also Check: IPL Live Score | IPL Points Table | IPL Schedule

RR will need a miracle to reach the playoffs but by winning by a good margin, they can give a green light to PBKS or even to MI. Meanwhile, KKR themselves want to win as safely as possible to stave off any threat from Rohit Sharma's team.