Six teams are in contention for the final three spots in the IPL playoffs after Punjab Kings were ousted. Gujarat Titans had already clinched their spot earlier in the week and are certain to finish in the top-two which gets them a Qualifier 1 game – hence two opportunities to make the IPL final.
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The tussle for the playoffs enters the weekend with Delhi Capitals hosting Chennai Super Kings and in the evening, Kolkata Knight Riders are at home against Lucknow Super Giants. A win will assure CSK and LSG of the playoffs with DC and KKR hoping to play spoilsports.
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Rinku Singh of the KKR would be an important element in an attempt at complicating the IPL playoff scenarios further. The 25-year-old has scored 407 runs this season with a best of 58 runs coming against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier. Since, he’s scored two fifties – both against CSK. His highlight performance came against Gujarat Titans with five sixes in the last over to take KKR to victory.
“Now Rinku has become the X-factor for KKR, not Russell. Russell’s era is gone. It’s Rinku’s time now. Even if Rinku is sent up, he can do justice to his role. He is a player of different calibre and we will soon see India cap on his head,” said Harbhajan Singh on Star Sports Cricket Live.
On the other side, Marcus Stoinis would be eager to leave his mark against CSK. The Aussie, acquired for Rs 10 crore in the auction, has scored 368 runs in 13 innings at an average of 33.45 and strike rate of 151.44.
In his latest outing, Stoinis scored an unbeaten 89 runs from 47 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Ekana Stadium. That knock took LSG to 177/3 and later the bowlers, specially Mohsin Khan’s last over, kept MI at bay in a 5-run win.
“Stoinis has the ability to change the course of the match single-handedly. The way he hits sixes even on yorkers proves how much power he generates. He is a very intelligent batsman and plays according to the situation,” said another former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif.
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