IPL 2024 Qualification Scenarios: How can Punjab Kings qualify for playoffs after losing to MI?

Punjab Kings. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered their third consecutive loss in the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) as they were beaten by Mumbai Indians (MI) by nine runs in Match 33 on Thursday, April 18 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh. After being put in to bat first, Mumbai posted a huge score of 192/7 in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of a brilliant knock from Suryakumar Yadav (78 off 53).

Harshal Patel was the pick of the bowlers for Punjab with figures of 3/31 in four overs. In reply, Punjab came close to the target courtesy of heroic innings from Shashank Singh (41 off 25) and Ashutosh Sharma (61 off 28) but were eventually bundled out for 183 in 19.1 overs. 

Also Read: PBKS vs MI: Tilak Varma’s wild slog hits spider cam, Harshal Patel yells in anger

Following their loss, Punjab find themselves on the second last spot (ninth) on the points table with two wins from seven matches having four points to their names. They have their fixture against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the same venue on Sunday, April 21. Following they have tough fixtures lined up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) back-to-back.

Punjab to face CSK twice in next four games

To stay alive in the playoffs race, Punjab desperately needs to turn things around and win three out of the next four fixtures. With seven games remaining in the tournament for them, they can earn 16 points by winning six of their remaining fixtures. However, if they end up losing more than one game, their fate will be in the hands of other teams as their results could well decide their fortunes.

Also Read: IPL 2024: 3 changes Punjab Kings should make to get back to winning ways

Hence, to avoid such a scenario, Punjab desperately needs to win six out of their last seven games and finish with 16 points on the points table. However, if they finish with 14 points, they will need to improve their net run rate which is currently at -0.251. The road ahead for Punjab, who’re already missing their captain Shikhar Dhawan due to a shoulder injury, is a tough one.