Playoffs 2023: IPL knockout stages start; check who plays whom

There was heartbreak for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as, despite Virat Kohli’s century, RCB failed to secure a win against Gujarat Titans (GT) as Shubman Gill carried his team on his wide shoulders, scored a century himself and won it for GT.

It was disappointing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as well. They had 14 points and a healthy Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.148 but ended at number five majorly because Mumbai Indians (MI) showed their true colours by performing at the right time. Rohit Sharma’s boys emphatically chased Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 200 runs in just 18 overs.

MI’s entry into the playoffs was sealed when Shubman Gill scored a century to outshine Virat Kohli’s ton on the same day and helped GT win their 10th league match. GT finished on top of the table with 20 points from 14 matches. They will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the first Qualifier on Tuesday, May 23.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians will play the first Eliminator on Wednesday, May 24. Whoever loses that match will be eliminated, the winner will play the second Eliminator on Friday, May 26 against the team that loses the first Qualifier. 

The winner of the second Eliminator will play the final on Sunday, May 28 against the winner of the first Qualifier.

The first two matches will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. CSK will be a home advantage in the first Qualifier against Hardik Pandya’s team. The final two matches will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

So, if GT lose against CSK in the first qualifier, they will enjoy home advantage in the second Eliminator. Also, if the Titans manage to reach the final, they will play at home again.