The last weekend of the IPL regular season is upon us and we take a look at the three remaining matches taking place on the 23rd and 24th May and how they affect the composition of the play offs.
Odds are subject to change
Saturday 23rd May Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Match Result Betting: LSG 5/4 Punjab Kings 13/20
This is the final action of this season’s IPL for LSG who have a record of 4 wins and 9 defeats and are bottom of the standings. They were inaction on Tuesday of this week where they went down to play off chasing Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Jaipur. Despite Mitch Marsh smashing 96 in their bat first total of 220/5 the Royals got home with 5 balls to spare. Marsh was also the top scorer in LSG’s previous home game, scoring 90 in a 7 wicket win over CSK.
With a record of 6 wins, 6 defeats and 1 no result Punjab Kings are outside of the play off places, they need to win here and then hope other results go their way. After a blistering start to their tournament it’s hard to believe those 6 defeats came in their 6 most recent outings and in their latest match they went down to RCB by 23 runs in a home fixture.
When these teams met in Match 29 Punjab Kings (254/7) beat LSG (200/5) by 54 runs.
The incentive is all with PK but they are badly out of form and could be a risky proposition. One batsmen who is in top nick is Mitch Marsh and he is taken to crack another 50 for LSG.
Bets: Mitch Marsh to score 50? Yes at 5/2 with Sportingbet
Sunday 24th May Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Match Result Betting: Mumbai 9/10 Rajasthan Royals 9/10
MI were in action away to KKR on Wednesday and in what proved to be a low scoring game they went down by 4 wickets. Hey posted just 147/8 batting first with Corbin Bosch top scoring down the order with 32 not out. Bosch also took 3 wickets but KKR got home in 18.5 overs. MI have long since fallen out of play off contention and with 4 wins and 9 defeats they are battling to avoid finishing rock bottom of the standings.
The Royals gave their play off hopes a boost with a 7 wicket win away to LEG in their latest outing. Chasing down 220/5 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi top scored with 93, supported by Jaiswal (43) and Jurel (53 not out) and they got up with 5 balls to spare for a seventh win of the tournament. That puts the Royals in the box seat for the remaining play off place which will be secured if they win here.
When the teams met back in Match 13 the Royals (150/3) won a rain affected game (reduced to 11 overs per side) by 27 runs.
MI have been so disappointing and RR need the win here to stay in the tournament but I’m shying away from the match result and siding with Bumrah to be top MI wicket taker.
Bets: Top MI wicket taker, Jasprit Bumrah at 2.65/1 with WSB
Sunday 24th May Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Match Result Betting: KKR 7/10 Delhi Capitals 23/20
Whether the Knight Riders will still have a chance to squeeze into the play offs by match day will depend on how results earlier in the weekend go including Rajasthan Royals visit to Mumbai in the first of Sunday’s games. A 4 wicket win for KKR at home to Mumbai on Wednesday was their sixth in of the campaign alongside 6 defeats and 1 no result. Green, Tyagi and Dubey all took two wickets as MI were restricted to 147/8 and Pandey (45) and Powell (40) helped KKR get home in 18.5 overs. A reminder that after a disastrous start to the tournament KKR’s first win only came at the seventh time of asking.
Delhi Capitals are 1 point worse off than KKR with a record of 6 wins and 7 defeats and they would need a most unlikely sequence of results to still be in contention for a play off place by the time they take to the field for this game. They had kept their hopes alive with two wins in their last two outings, away to Punjab Kings by 3 wickets and at home to Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets where Mitch Starc returned figures of 4/40.
When these teams met in Delhi in Match 51, KKR (147/2) beat Delhi (142/8) by 8 wickets.
The last game of the regular season and I’ll take a stab at the Player of the Match market where Cam Green’s ability to star with bat and ball puts him in the mix.
Bets: Player of the Match Cam Green at 12/1 with WSB
Note, odds are subject to change
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