Match 63 of TATA IPL 2023 is scheduled to take place on May 16, 2023, at 7:30 pm IST between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians. Gujarat Titans are through with 18 points; they still have another match to go, wherein they will try to stay at the top of the leaderboard.
It was Shubham Gill all the way, having scored 101 runs off 58 balls. It was backed by Shami’s 4-wicket pick at an economy of 5.25 throughout 4 overs. It was a call by Hardik Pandya with the intention of bettering the NRR. It is not needed anymore, for GT is less likely to go down to the second position.
Analyzing Other IPL 2023 Teams
With GT already in the knockout stage, a total of nine teams remain. Their fate rests on the games that will be played this week. While some have a lot on their hands, some teams may ultimately have to rely on their NRR to advance further. Let’s have a look based on the standing at the TATA IPL 2023 leaderboard.
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni’s captaincy will play a crucial role in the one match that they must win to carry the current point of 15 to 17. A draw against LSG lowered their chances of qualifying. Nonetheless, opponents will not have to look out for Devon Conway, who has scored 498 runs in 13 matches. This puts him at 4th for Orange Cap.
The bowling unit may have been average, but Tushar Deshpande has managed to feature in the list for Purple Cap, having picked 19 wickets. CSK now meets Delhi Capitals, where they must aim to send Warner back to the pavilion at the earliest.
Mumbai Indians
Featuring the third spot with 14 points is Rohit Sharma-led MI. The key player for MI will be Suryakumar Yadav, who registered 103 off 49 balls against GT in Match 57 of TATA IPL 2023. The opening pair brings instability, with the skipper lacking consistency. Ishan Kishan makes up for it, as is evident from his 366 runs scored till now.
It remains to be seen how Sharma plays Arjun Tendulkar on the field. The next game versus LSG could fetch them 2 more points, inching closer to the qualification.
Lucknow Super Giants
Losing KL Rahul to an injury has not been well-received by the team. They have won just 2 games in the previous five games, including the one that was a draw with CSK. Kock could have been included early instead of taking time to get him on the field. Ravi Bishnoi has led the bowling unit. Others need to step up so that 13 points can go on to at least 15 for the competition.
Losing a single match will put them at risk because RCB follows them with 12 points at the 5th position. Expect the match with MI to be a neck-to-neck event.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Plessis is leading his side from the front; literally, one might say. The skipper is at the top of the race for Orange Cap with 631 runs in just 12 matches. The remainder could simply reward him with the cap even if RCB does not make it to the knockout stage.
As! per the best cricket betting sites, the opening pair of Kohli and Plessis will be a set of dragons that opponents would not want to encounter! Virat has 438 runs to names at a strike rate of 131.53. Their bowling unit has seen a major action from Siraj, the wicket-taker with 16 opponents to his name. RCB next faces Hyderabad and Gujarat in a do-or-die manner.
Rajasthan Royals
RR once looked to maintain the top position, especially with in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal, credited with scoring 124 runs off 62 balls versus Mumbai Indians in Match 42 of TATA IPL 2023. He is expected to remain a strong player even now.
RR at 6th position with 12 points is unexpected, but there is scope with Buttler and Samson handling the top three spots of the batting lineup.
Kolkata Knight Riders And Punjab Kings
The reason for clubbing these two teams is the similarity in their journey. The only difference is that KKR looked like a promising entry during the early phases. Both teams have 12 points each in a total of 13 and 12 games played till now, respectively.
KKR relies on Rinku Singh too much, which could pose a danger because LSG will look to restrict him for a lower strike rate. PBKS has a better chance if it wins the remaining two games and takes the points up to 16. However, it requires all the above teams to lose their remaining matches.
Sunrisers Hyderabad And Delhi Capitals
There is simply no chance for these two teams to qualify. SRH and DC are playing for their pride now, with 8 points each to their names. SRH is at the 9th position, while DC is benched at the lowest, 10th position. Their NRR is negative, -0.575 and -0.686, respectively.
Their only strategy is to go all out against the team they are playing with. Ending TATA IPL 2023 with 12 points will be praiseworthy.
Conclusion
TATA IPL 2023 is almost nearing its conclusion. This week will be competitive, if not entertaining. Gujarat Titans have made it to the knockout, hoping to defend their title in the finals. CSK and MI are just one match away from swinging things their way. The ultimate battle could be the 4th entry between LSG, RR, and RCB.
