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Punjab Kings (PBKS) have a defeat, three wins, and a washout in their last five games. The situation is somewhat inverted for Delhi Capitals (DC), with one win, three defeats, and an abandoned match. DC and PBKS are separated by just one win and ticks of NRR, but both teams are miles apart in their current form. PBKS are on a roll. They won their previous two games, albeit against struggling sides, and were robbed of a definite win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by rain. DC, meanwhile, lost four of their last six completed games, which would have been…

Islamabad United (IU), after beginning so strongly, have lost three games on the trot, and one of them, the most recent one, came against Quetta Gladiators (QG), whom they will play once again. But the good news for Islamabad is that they return home now. They have lost all three on the road, to be precise, in Lahore. However, their five-match winning streak still keeps them in the hunt for the playoff qualification. Quetta, at this stage of the league, aren’t too naive either. They blasted 16 runs in the last over versus Islamabad in Lahore to pocket the game…

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s survival strategy is simple: win all the remaining games. If they do so, they will end up with 17 points, which would be one and two lower than the maximum Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI), who are right above KKR on the table, can manage. When put like this, the path forward seems as straight as it gets. Especially when their next two games will be against the teams already disqualified. But it isn’t as simple, Kolkata know this too. All of their plans could be done and dusted with a single defeat or…

Mumbai Indians (MI) have played eleven games so far. They lost four of their first five but have won all of their next six, so their early-season woes are a memory now. They have fourteen points next to their name, three games remaining to be played, and a dynamic form rallying them. Gujarat Titans (GT), too, have fourteen points in their kitty, but their campaign isn’t as contrasting when divided into halves. They lost one of their first five games and two in their next five. This does point towards a dwindled form, but there isn’t anything too worrying waiting…

Delhi Capitals (DC) sit at the fringes of the top four. They began very strong, stronger than most other teams, in fact, with a four-match winning streak, which, frankly, is what’s keeping them in the loop. Since that streak ended, DC have lost four out of their last six games. Ironically, these figures are the same for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), whom DC will play in their next game. They, too, have won only two of their recent six. But DC would not want their hard-earned wins going down the drain just because they lost the plot in the middle of…

Karachi Kings (KK) and Lahore Qalandars (LQ) share a rivalry that has stayed intense, even when one or both teams weren’t at their best. The banter between the two cities was what always added fuel to the rivalry. However, this season, both teams are sharp enough to finally bring cricket into the equation. Currently placed in second and third positions, both sides have identically won four games and lost three, with Lahore slightly ahead thanks to a washout that gave them an extra point. Both sides have religiously avoided consistency, but Karachi have been more mercurial of the two, alternating…

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are sitting at the bottom of the top four, but their current form is such that they shouldn’t worry about dropping out of the safe zone. Like most of the teams, they haven’t seen much of a home advantage, having won two and lost as many at their home ground in Mullanpur. For the last stretch, they move to their second home in Dharamsala. But if they expect home woes to stop tailing them at the new venue, they need to have a look at their stats. The last time they won a game at the venue…

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hang by a thread, with their playoff chances demanding too much of them. They did not have an ideal title defense campaign. In fact, for the most part, the side seemed at sea. But if there ever were a time for them to get the fog out of their mind, this is it. Even if they gear up to face Rajasthan Royals (RR) at their home venue, where they have only won one out of four games this season, in a day game, which will be their second this season, with the only other being against…

For Quetta Gladiators (QG), this decade hasn’t been kind. They lifted their maiden PSL trophy in 2019, following which they made friends with the bottom of the table. Finishing among the top four in a competition with only six teams isn’t exactly an arduous task, but QG failed to do even that. Before they nearly missed reaching the playoffs in the last season, Quetta had finished their previous four seasons in 5th and 6th positions. But times seem to have changed for them, or so they would hope. They currently occupy third position in the table, albeit with the highest…

For the past few years, every Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fixture has come with the backdrop of the same question: Is this the last Kohli-Dhoni showdown? The question gains more traction in the reverse fixtures. While every year fans hope to witness both players share the field once again next year, simply on sentimental grounds, this time, though, they would want the same to happen to give MS Dhoni the farewell he deserves, which is certainly not one where his team is stuck at the bottom. CSK have had a season to forget. They have…