The 2022 IPL Playoffs: A Team Rundown

The 2022 IPL playoffs are almost upon us, and it’s going to be a pretty close race. So far, only one team has guaranteed itself a place in the playoffs; the Gujarat Titans have definitely qualified, so if you’re a fan, you know that your team stands a pretty good chance at taking home the tournament prize. What of the other hopefuls, though? There have already been some upsets in terms of teams who simply won’t be able to qualify, but several other teams could be the ones to claim victory. Here’s our 2022 IPL playoffs rundown.

Gujarat Titans

As we’ve said, the Gujarat Titans have already guaranteed themselves a place in the playoffs. They’ve done this through an absolutely blinding performance throughout IPL 2022; despite this being the team’s inaugural IPL season, it’s proven itself more than worthy of taking its place among the greats. With Hardik Pandya helming the team and capable support from the likes of Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade, GT is looking like the favourite this year, but it’s all to play for.

Delhi Capitals

Speaking to Betway, legendary cricket commentator and former player Kevin Pietersen described his time playing with Delhi Capitals as “fantastic”. Right now, DC stands about a 44% chance of being able to join the top four slots; analysts predict that the best DC can hope for is simply to take a joint second spot, which the team may have to jostle for alongside several other teams. Still, DC’s cricket is on point, so there’s every chance we could see a DC playoff victory.

Rajasthan Royals

Since RR has had such an excellent season, the team is guaranteed either a second place or third place spot on the playoff points table, but this doesn’t mean they’re definitely going to enter the playoffs. Strong play from Devdutt Padikkal and Jos Buttler could see the Royals performing against expectations, but RR is famous for not being able to close out games satisfactorily, and this could come back to bite them if they’re not careful during the playoffs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

There’s a lot of competition for the number two spot in the IPL 2022 playoffs, and RCB is just one of the teams that is jostling for this position. Opener Faf du Plessis may be retired from test cricket, but he’s still capable of playing an absolute blinder for RCB, and the team will likely want to base its performance around him if it’s going to achieve playoff success. Overall, analysts put RCB’s chances of entering the playoffs at around 75%, which sounds like good odds to us.

Lucknow Super Giants

No analysis of the best teams in the IPL in 2022 is complete without talking about LSG. Although LSG is often considered one of the kings of Indian cricket, the team hasn’t been performing as well as it could recently, with a couple of losses likely setting the team’s nerves aflame. Even still, LSG has one of the strongest squads in the IPL, so there’s a good chance the team can turn its fortunes around somewhat and end up finishing a strong second in the table.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Right now, things aren’t looking particularly great for SRH. After a few recent losses (and an overall rollercoaster of a season), SRH is probably looking at finishing joint fourth in the table, a position they’ll probably have to share with several other teams. Even still, SRH isn’t looking like a very likely proposition for finishing in the top four, unfortunately. SRH has a strong all-round team play style, but a lack of power in its attack could spell its doom in the playoffs.

Punjab Kings

Another one of the underdog teams to be in the running for the IPL playoffs in 2022, PBKS sits at around the same level as DC, with analysts predicting close to a 44% chance that PBKS will qualify. If this does happen, the team will likely have to share its spot with another three or four teams, as the race is looking pretty close this year. With a huge batting advantage, PBKS could still surprise pundits, but it’s not looking like a high place is guaranteed.

Kolkata Knight Riders

We can’t read this team’s name without getting the indelible theme from the 80s TV show stuck in our heads. Nevertheless, KKR’s chances aren’t looking great this season. So far, 2022 has been a year that it seems KKR would rather forget, and so the playoffs are looking more and more like a goal to aim for in the 2023 season rather than something that’s attainable now. It’s a shame, because the addition of Shreyas Iyer to the lineup should have resulted in greatness.

In addition to the above teams, there are, unfortunately, two teams that have been completely and definitively ruled out of the race. Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) aren’t going to get themselves a place in the playoffs this year, so if you’re a fan of either team, it looks like it might be time to console yourself and/or drown your sorrows. Still, it’s all to play for among the remaining seven (with GT already guaranteed a place). One thing’s for certain: whatever happens among these teams in future, it’s likely to result in some incredibly compelling cricket, so the fans are victorious in any scenario.

The 2022 IPL Playoffs: A Team Rundown to Other Sports

Top of This Page