Chennai in playoffs; dream or still a possibility?

Defending champions Chennai have had a forgettable season in the ongoing Indian T20 League 2022 so far. They are languishing at the ninth place on the points table with only three wins in 10 games, only above their arch-rivals, Mumbai. The Yellow Army is the second-most successful team in terms of title wins with four titles to their name. This is why it has been difficult for their fans to digest a performance such as this.

With only three wins under the belt and four games left, they can only get to seven wins maximum at the end of the league stage. Notably, in the last few seasons, teams have made it to the playoffs with 14 points thanks to the intense battles teams have had for the fourth place at the end stages. This year, teams can reach the playoffs with 14 points if a few things go their way.

In this listicle, we will discuss a few scenarios of how the four-time winners can still make it to the top four clashes.

1. They need to win their remaining games handsomely

The team has a poor Net Run Rate of (-0.431). The reason for that is they have scored 1700 runs in the tournament after battling for 200 overs. In return, they have conceded 1746 runs in just 195.3 overs. In the next three games, their first instinct would be to win the game. However, if the opportunity arrives, they need to win those games as convincingly as possible to increase their NRR and qualification chances.

2. They would be dependent on other teams’ results

This is the worst phase a team can be in. Every team wants their top-four qualification scenarios to be well within their reach. Here the MS Dhoni-led side needs some teams to lose their games and others to win. In the ongoing game between Hyderabad and Bangalore, Chennai needs the Orange Army to win. Apart from this, they need Mumbai to win at least three out of their next four games. In the three games, between Lucknow vs Gujarat, Lucknow vs Rajasthan, and Hyderabad vs Punjab, the results won’t matter as either of the teams winning will ultimately help Chennai. Also, they need Rajasthan and Punjab to win at least two of their three games remaining respectively, and need Bangalore to lose all of their remaining three games