In the ongoing IPL 2023 season, there is a tight race for the top 4 and top 2 spots in the points table.
When was playoffs system introduced in IPL?
Scrapping the two semi-finals format, the IPL introduced the playoffs format in 2011 where the top 2 teams would get the advantage of an extra match to reach the final.
The IPL 2023 is into its last week of the league phase and the playoff race remains stiff between a number of teams.
With only 4 days of the league phase remaining, only 1 team – Gujarat Titans – has qualified for the playoffs – GT have also secured a top 2 spot – while two teams at the bottom – Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad – have been eliminated. The other seven teams are still in contention for 3 spots in the top 4 and out of those 7, four teams are in contention for the remaining one spot in the top 2.
Why is it so important for teams to reach the top 2 and not just top 4 in IPL 2023?
While the first priority of all teams is to secure a playoff spot, they then also wish for a shot in the top 2. There is an extra advantage for teams in the top 2 over those ranked 3rd and 4th. That is, those in the top 2 get an extra game to fail to reach the final.
Playoffs format in IPL Explained:
The top 2 teams meet in the Qualifier 1, and the 3rd and 4th placed teams meet in the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 1 proceeds to the final, but the loser is still not eliminated. In Qualifier 2 then, the loser of Qualifier 1 faced the winner of the Eliminator – the loser of the Eliminator is eliminated from the competition – and the winner of Qualifier 2 proceeds to the final, where the winner of the Qualifier 1 had been waiting.
This chart explains the playoffs format:
This means that even if a team loses in Qualifier 1 – after finishing in the top 2 – that side still gets another game to reach the final. Basically, if you are in the top 2 in the points table at the end of the league stage, you still can afford to lose a game and then win Qualifier 2 to reach the final; on the other hand, the 3rd and 4th placed teams have to win 2 matches in a row to reach the final.
