IPL 2021 Playoffs: Here’s How Mumbai Indians can finish among top four after three successive defeats

Mumbai Indians’ plans of winning three Indian Premier League (IPL) titles on the trot are not on the right track. The Rohit Sharma-led side has blown hot and cold this season and their position in the team standings narrate the entire story. As of now, the five-time winners are reeling at the penultimate position with just four wins in 10 games. This is indeed a shocking display from MI as they dominated the last two seasons.

However, the case is not the same in IPL 2021. It has to be noted that MI did pretty well in the first half of the competition. With four wins in seven outings, they were fourth in the table at the time of team standings. While they were expected to put up an enhanced show in the UAE leg, it happened quite the opposite.

The Men in Blue struggled to perform as a unit and suffered three successive defeats. This also dented their plans of getting the glory for the sixth time. Notably, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings have already qualified for the playoffs. With Sunrisers Hyderabad standing out of the playoff race, five teams are fighting for the remaining two positions in the final four.

IPL 2021 Points Table: 

Last Updated: September 26

Meanwhile, let’s look at Mumbai Indians’ qualification scenario for IPL 2021 playoffs:

1. If Mumbai Indians win all their remaining fixtures

As mentioned above, MI have four more matches left in the league stage. They’ll face Punjab Kings Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan in these fixtures. If Rohit Sharma’s men win all their leftover games, they’ll qualify for the final four without any hassle. Hence, no maths will be required in that case. Although the maths is simple, the Men in Blue and Gold have a hefty task at hand as PBKS and DC defeated them in the first half.

2. If Mumbai Indians lose one game

The net run rate will come into the picture if the Mumbai-based side loses any of their remaining games. One defeat means MI can accumulate a maximum of 14 points which might or might not be enough. Notably, MI’s current net run rate (-0.551) is only better than that of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Hence, they would need to win their other three games with significant margins alongside depending upon other match results.

MI’s hopes of getting the glory this season are done and dusted if they suffer more than one defeat in their remaining games. If they lose two fixtures and even win the remaining two, their tally will be 12 points which will surely not be enough. Hence, the five-time champions must buckle up to unleash their A-game in their remaining matches.