The Indian Premier League(IPL) 2021 was suspended in May due to multiple Covid-19 cases inside the bio-secure environment of the teams
The league was at the midway stage with 29 matches got completed and another 31 games were left. It returned after a four-month-long halt in September but had to move the base to the UAE, where the last season took place without any hiccups.
After 29 matches in the first leg of this season, everyone had got a great idea of which team is doing well and are likely contenders for the playoff spots. Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore were playing well and had occupied the first three spots in the points table respectively while Mumbai Indians was placed fourth and were in the chasing pack.
IPL 2021 Predictions
But make no mistake in reading the situation with almost half the matches yet to be played and any drastic change can happen in the points table. And this is not a mere saying but a trend in the last six editions of the league.
Based on the data from the last six editions of the league, there is no certainty that the teams leading the points table after the first 29 matches will continue their domination when IPL 2021 near its end.
Moreover, the orange cap and purple cap holders have also seen a shift in the fates in the last half of the season. Let’s dig deeper into this data and have a close look.
Based on this data, only one team can be written off to qualify for the playoffs. The eights placed team by the end of the 29th match never made their way into the playoffs when the league matches got concluded. Hence, Sunrisers Hyderabad are unlikely to make their way up the ladder.
Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, had turned things upside down back in 2015 and were placed seventh by the 29th match. But their late surge in form saw them winning six out of the last seven games before eventually winning the competition. Hence, Kolkata Knight Riders can take inspiration from their nemesis for a late surge.
Meanwhile, no team leading the points table after 29 matches failed to qualify for the playoffs. They have stuck to their first position five times while they also went on to lift the title twice in the last six years. Thus, making a strong case for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021.
Only once the top four teams by the 29th match held on to their positions and qualified for the playoffs. Hence, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians need to be on top of their game, else, they could drop out of the playoff spot.
Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, still, have a fair chance to have a shot at a playoff spot.
The race for the orange cap is not that mean in the last six years. There have been 14 players who made their way inside the top five despite not being there after 29 matches. But none of them managed to land their hand on the cap, though.
However, the players inside the top-three at this stage are the ones who managed to win the orange cap at the end. Thus, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis have a good shot to bag the prize this time around.
And, three batsmen in the last six years managed to win the cap who were placed second after the 29th match, making KL Rahul’s case even stronger.
Meanwhile, no orange cap leader after the 29 matches dropped out of the top five by the end of the season.
But when it comes to the race for the purple cap, it remains quite wide open regardless of the numbers after 29 matches into the season. One good day with the ball can give you a heroic entry in the race.
But all the winners of the last six years were inside the top-five wicket-takers after 29 matches. Though, previous winners were second, third, fourth and fifth at this stage while only twice the leading wicket-taker held onto his position by the final ball of the season.
RCB’s Harshal Patel, thus, have a good chance to don the purple cap at the end of the season but the contention of Avesh Khan, Chris Morris, Rahul Chahar and Rashid Khan can’t be discounted.
Similar to the orange cap’s race, no player topping the chart at this stage failed to drop out of the top-five, which means Harshal Patel is all but likely to remain inside the top-five by the end.
The rest of the chasing pact have their fate in their hand as it is quite visible the bowlers placed second, fourth and fifth have fallen out of the top-five several times. Thus, their destiny lies in their own hands.
So, do not get fooled by how the tables were looking when the second leg started in the UAE. IPL is the most hard-fought competition for a reason and the above numbers are stamping its toughness as well.
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