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The IPL 2022 playoffs were finalized after the round-robin league round ended on Sunday (May 22). A new arrival to the Indian Premier League, Gujarat Titans ended the league phase in first position with 20 points. Understandably, they will be favourites to advance to the knockout stage. In addition, the Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow SuperGiants, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have all qualified for the playoffs. Let's take a look at the schedule and the favourites to make it to the championship game.
Lineups for the IPL 2022 Playoffs
The Gujarat Titans were the No. 1 team in the points table. The Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow SuperGiants, and Royal Challengers finished second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the league phase. There will be three matches in the playoffs: Qualifier 1, Eliminator, and Qualifier 2. The final match of the IPL 15 will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 29).
Read IPL 2022: Who will make the playoffs from Delhi and Bangalore?
Qualifier 1 (Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals)
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Date: May 24 | Time (Bangladesh Standard Time): 8 pm
Gujarat Titans are having a fantastic season in IPL 15. They secured 10 wins out of 14 in the league phase, including a 37-run victory over Rajasthan Royals. Gujarat have found the right balance and they are the most confident side at the moment. On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals are also having a great season. For the first time since winning the inaugural IPL in 2008, they have seemed like a competitive team to win another edition of the tournament. It will be a tough game, but Gujarat can consider themselves the favourite.
Verdict: Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans predicted playing XI
Top-Order: Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Middle-Order: Matthew Wade, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Yash Dayal, Lower-Order: R Sai Kishore, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami
Rajasthan Royals predicted playing XI
Top-Order: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Middle-Order: Riyan Parag, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Lower-Order: Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy.
Read RR vs MI: Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2022 playoff dream is about to sink
Eliminator (Lucknow SuperGiants vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Venue: Eden Gardens | Date: May 25 | Time (Bangladesh Standard Time): 8 pm
Lucknow is one of the new teams in the IPL. Like the Gujarat Titans, they have done an excellent job so far and have secured a place in the playoffs by finishing third in the league phase. They will be up against Royal Challengers Bangalore, who tipped Delhi Capitals to finish fourth in the points table. Predicting the winner of this match is difficult as both teams are pretty confident of overcoming each other.
Verdict: Lucknow SuperGiants
Lucknow SuperGiants Predicted Playing XI
Top-Order: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Middle-Order: Deepak Hooda, Manan Vohra, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, K Gowtham, Lower-Order: Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s probable playing XI
Top-Order: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Middle-Order: Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lower-Order: Mohammed Siraj, Siddharth Kaul, Josh Hazlewood.
Read IPL leader Gujarat beats Bangalore despite Kohli 58
Qualifier 2 (GT/RR vs LSG/RCB)
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Date: May 27 | Time (Bangladesh Standard Time): 8 pm
The winner of the eliminator and the loser of qualifier 1 will battle for the last berth in qualification 2. No one stands out as a clear favourite at this stage. Whomever plays to their best capacity can defeat their opponent on that particular day. Given the teams' accomplishments this season, the loser of qualifier 1 may be the favourite to win qualifier 2.
Verdict
The Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals are the favourites to reach the IPL 15 final this season. They will try to continue their good run of form into the playoffs round for the quest for the championship match. Oppositely, the Lucknow SuperGiants and Royal Challengers are also very competitive teams. They will hope to find a way to reach the championship game. However, they will have to win two matches in the playoffs round to do so. Three of the four knockout round teams have never won an IPL trophy. Therefore, a new team can win the IPL 2022 this year.