Chennai Super Kings were crowned IPL 2021 champions after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on Friday (October 15) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A total of 60 matches were played in the Indian Premier League. We had seen some remarkable performances in the tournament's 14th season. Among the shining players, Chennai batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad ended top with 635 runs, while Bangalore medium pacer Harshal Patel took the most 32 wickets in only 15 innings and was named player of the series. Let's take a look at the toppers list of the IPL 14. Here is the complete IPL 2021 Toppers List Champion: Chennai Super Kings Chennai Super Kings earned their first Indian Premier League trophy in three years after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final. They came in second in the round-robin league stage points table. Read Dravid to be Team India's next head coach? Most Runs: Ruturaj Gaikwad    Ruturaj Gaikwad was the leading run-scorer in the tournament. He scored the most runs (635) in 16 innings with a century. Top 3 Most Runs   Player Innings Runs Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings) 16 635 Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings) 16 633 KL Rahul (Punjab Kings) 13 626 Source: ESPNCricinfo Read  Chennai beats Kolkata in final to clinch 4th IPL title Most Wickets: Harshal Patel The pacer for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Harshal Patel was outstanding with the ball. The medium-pacer bagged 32 wickets in 15 innings with an incredible 10.5 strike rate. Top 3 Most Wickets   Player Innings Wickets Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) 15 32 Avesh Khan (Delhi Capitals) 16 24 Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians) 14 21 Source: ESPNCricinfo Read Youth ODI: Bangladesh lose series opener against Sri Lanka High Scores: Jos Buttler Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler scored 124 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Not to mention, it was the best innings in the tournament. Top 3 Highest Scores Player Runs Oppositions Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) 124 Sunrisers Hyderabad Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals 119 Punjab Kings Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore) 101* Rajasthan Royals Source: ESPNCricinfo Read Short format, long wait for pandemic-affected T20 World Cup Best Bowling Figures (Innings): Andre Russell Andre Russell of the Kolkata Knight Riders had the best bowling figures in the competition with 5/15 against the Mumbai Indians. Top 3 Best Bowling Figures Player BBI Oppositions Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders) 5/15 Mumbai Indians Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) 5/27 Mumbai Indians Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings) 5/32 Rajasthan Royals Source: ESPNCricinfo Read Twenty20 Cricket World Cup: 5 players to watch Most Dismissals: MS Dhoni MS Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings had the most dismissals (13) in the tournament. Top 3 Most Dismissals Player Innings Dismissals MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) 16 13 Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals) 16 13 Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals) 14 11 Source: ESPNCricinfo Read Big setback: Bangladesh suffer two defeats before WC Most Catches: Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja of the Chennai Super Kings recorded the most catches (13) in the competition. Top 3 Most Catches Player Innings Catches Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) 16 13 Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings) 16 12 Steven Smith (Delhi Capitals) 8 9 Source: ESPNCricinfo Read T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s Group Stage Fixtures  Highest Partnerships: Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal had the highest partnership (181*) of the tournament against Rajasthan Royals.    Top 3 Highest Partnerships Partners Runs Oppositions Virat Kohli & Devdutt Padikkal (RCB) 181* Rajasthan Royals Joss Butter & Sanju Samson (RR) 150 Sunrisers Hyderabad Prithvi Shaw & Shikhar Dhawan (DC) 138 Chennai Super Kings Source: ESPNCricinfo Read  IPL 2021 Final: Key Stats, Team News Ahead of CSK vs. KKR Championship Match Most Sixes: KL Rahul The captain of the Punjab Kings, KL Rahul struck the most sixes in the competition (30). Top 3 Most Sixes Players Innings Sixes KL Rahul (Punjab Kings) 13 30 Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings) 16 23 Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings) 16 23 Sources: ESPNCricinfo Read Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul Highest Match Aggregates Top 3 Highest Match Aggregates     Matches Runs Rajasthan Royals vs. Punjab Kings 438 Mumbai Indians vs. Chennai Super Kings 437 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Mumbai Indians 428 Source: ESPNCricinfo   Read Tigers lose the plot while fielding to lose first warm-up against SL  Bottom Line The franchise-based Indian Premier League completed its 14th season this year. As predicted, some fresh new players emerged in this year's IPL. Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore was the most prominent one. Finishing the competition with impressive 32 wickets, this outstanding bowler kept both audiences and critics enthralled. Most players of the IPL 2021 champion Chennai Super Kings' had a successful season. Shardul Thakur and Ruturaj Gaikwad were the most consistent performers for Chennai. Winning the fourth Indian Premier League title, CSK captain MS Dhoni has added one more feature in his cap. Read Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match

Both KKR and RCB won a game against each other in the round-robin league stage. However, Kolkata won a one-sided affair in the most recent meeting between the two teams and they were full of confidence going into the elimination match. The batters failed to cope with the pitch, thus the eliminator was a low-scoring affair. Kolkata won the match in the last over as Shakib Al Hasan scored the winning run for his team. Kolkata Knight Riders will play Delhi Capitals in qualifier 2 on Wednesday (October 13) for a spot in the final. Match Report: KKR vs. RCB       Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator match on Monday (October 11) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.  Bangalore’s Innings Batted first, Royal Challengers Bangalore barely managed to score 138/7 in their allotted 20 overs. They got off to a good start in the innings, scoring 49 runs in the first five overs. Captain Virat Kohli and new sensation Devdutt Padikkal, started cautiously but were eager to rotate the strike to put pressure on the bowlers. Read Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match They were doing well until Kolkata got their first breakthrough with a wide outside off delivery to Padikkal (21) from Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson. The left-handed batsman failed to connect with the ball and was clean bowled in the first delivery of the sixth over. Losing opener Padikkal (21) put the Bangalore innings under strain, as they only managed to score 21 runs in the following five overs and lost Srikar Bharat's wicket. Bangalore had 70 runs on board for the cost of two wickets at that stage. The Bangalore campaign was hoping that skipper Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers would lead the team to a competitive score. Though neither of the players ignited in the death overs and Bangalore were forced to settle for a low total to defend.  Also read: Junaid Siddique to play in T10 League Virat Kohli played a 39 off 33 balls knock before getting clean bowled by Sunil Narine in the 13th over. It was a fruitful day for Narine, who rattled Bangalore’s top and middle orders with some tight bowling and later played a crucial part with the bat. Narine finished his spell with 4-0-21-4. Apart from him, Ferguson took 2 wickets and Shakib Al Hasan had an economical spell as well.  Kolkata’s Innings  Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer got Kolkata off to a strong start with a 41-run opening partnership in pursuit of a modest score. The most successful bowler in IPL 2021, Harshal Patel interrupted their momentum by taking the first wicket in the sixth over. He removed Kolkata’s top scorer Shubman Gill (29) in an off-cutter slower delivery. Kolkata lost inform Rahul Tripathi in the following over.   Kolkata's batsmen had battled to get the scoreboard moving due to the slow nature of the pitch. Kolkata's innings were interrupted due to losing wickets at regular intervals, and the fate of the match was swinging both ways.  Read: IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs? Nitesh Rana (23) and Sunil Narine (26) batted well in the middle of the innings to keep Kolkata in the run chase. Bangalore's campaign looked positive to clinch the contest when Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik went back to the pavilion in the 18th over. However, Shakib Al Hasan and captain Eoin Morgan’s patient approach eased Kolkata’s victory with two balls to spare. Shakib took the winning run in the fourth ball of the final over. Siraj, Patel, and Chahal bagged two wickets each for Royal Challengers Bangalore.  Player of the Match All-rounder Sunil Narine was named the best player of the IPL 2021 eliminator match for his outstanding performance with the ball. Read Bangladesh jersey for T20 World Cup revealed  Way Forward Kolkata Knight Riders had been struggling before the postponement of the Indian Premier League last May. They came back strong when the competition resumed in September in the United Arab Emirates. The Kolkata team management has found their ideal formation with the addition of Shakib Al Hasan to the playing XI. However, sources indicate that the ace all-rounder is unlikely to play in the second qualifying match given his commitment to the Bangladesh national team. Andre Russell may replace Shakib Al Hasan and the West Indian knows what it takes to win a big match. Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, and the openers did well in the eliminator match. They would play vital roles in the qualifier 2 encounter against Delhi Capitals in Sharjah.   Read Tigers start training in UAE Monday

​​​​​​​Delhi Capitals team was confident that they could make it three in a row after winning their two round-robin league matches against Chennai Super Kings. However, Chennai captain MS Dhoni displayed his flamboyant charisma at the most crunch moment of the game, leading his team to victory with two balls to spare. Chennai advanced to the 14th edition of the tournament final after defeating Delhi in the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match. Delhi Capitals will play the winner of the eliminator match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in qualifier 2 for a final berth. Match Report: CSK vs. DC The captain of Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni opted to field first against Delhi Capitals in the first qualifying match in Dubai on Sunday (October 10) Delhi’s Innings  Delhi Capitals batted first and set up a challenging 172/5 runs in their allocated 20 overs. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan partnered for a 36-run opening stand, with Prithvi taking the initiative to get the scoreboard moving quickly. Shikhar Dhawan was struggling to time the ball and was finally bowled by Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over. Read: Shakib, Mustafiz set to leave IPL to join national team Getting the first wicket helped Chennai to increase the pressure on the Delhi batsmen. They lost three more wickets within 11 overs, including Prithvi Shaw. The excellent left-hand batsman lost his wicket to Ravindra Jadeja after an aggressive 60 off 34 balls. Delhi skipper Rishab Pant and Windies power hitter Shimron Hetmyer (37) repaired the innings with an 83-run partnership in the fifth wicket and took the total to 163. Rishab Pant remained undefeated with a 51* off 35 balls. Josh Hazlewood was Chennai's most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 29 runs in four overs. Chennai’s Innings Chasing 173 runs, Chennai's most inform batsman Faf du Plessis was dismissed in the opening over. He was clean bowled by compatriot Anrich Nortje on the fourth ball of the first over. However, the loss of an early wicket had little effect on Chennai's momentum in the run chase. Read: IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs? A 110-run second-wicket partnership between Ruturaj Gaikwad and the experienced Robin Uthappa helped Chennai stay in the game. They took the total to 113 in the 14th over. Both batsmen were steady and did not take any needless risks while forming the partnership. Uthappa was dismissed in the14th over after a 63-run knock. On the other hand, Gaikwad remained at the crease till the 19th over, ensuring Chennai's progress in the run chase. However, the match took a dramatic turn when in-form Avesh Khan sent Gaikwad back to the pavilion on the first ball of the 19th over. Chennai needed 24 runs in 11 balls at that point. With two new batsmen at the crease, they were under a lot of pressure to get those runs. However, skipper MS Dhoni came out as a savior for his team and ensured victory with some blistering strokes. Read:IPL 2021: Delhi secure Qualifier 1 with 3-wicket win against Chennai Dhoni sealed the victory by smashing Tom Curran for a boundary in the last over's fourth ball. He stayed unbeaten, with a match-winning 18 off 6 balls knock. Taking three wickets, Curran was Delhi's most successful bowler in this game.  Player of the Match Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was awarded the best player of the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match for his responsible 70-run knock. Way Forward Delhi Capitals lost to Chennai Super Kings for the first time of the IPL 2021 season. They overcame Chennai twice in the league phase and were considered favorites to win the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match. However, responsible knocks by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa, as well as MS Dhoni's fiery innings, saw Chennai defeat Delhi in the first match of the playoffs round. This will be the 9th IPL final for Chennai Super Kings. Read:IPL 2021: Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan in three-way race for a playoffs spot On the other hand, Delhi Capitals must win the second qualifier match to advance to the IPL final for the second year in a row. Delhi finished runner-up after losing the IPL 2020 final to Mumbai Indians. The qualifier 2 match will take place in Sharjah on Wednesday (13th October).

The IPL 2021 playoff lineups were confirmed after the end of the thrilling round-robin league phase on Friday (October 8). The table-topping Delhi Capitals are one of the early favorites to win the Indian Premier League's 14th edition. Probably, this is the final season of veteran cricketer MS Dhoni. Not to mention, all of Chennai's players would be keen to give Dhoni a proper farewell by winning the Indian Premier League. In Qualifier 1, both teams will compete for a spot in the final. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Kolkata Knight Riders in the elimination match. Let's take a look at the favorites of the playoffs round. IPL 2021: Lineups for the Playoffs Qualifier 1 (DC vs. CSK) Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium | Date: October 10 | Time (BST): 8 pm Verdict: Delhi favourite to beat CSK At the end of the IPL 2021 round-robin league stage, Delhi Capitals came out on top of the point table. Delhi gained 20 points in the league phase by winning 10 games and losing four. Importantly, Delhi defeated Chennai in both of their league matches. In comparison to Chennai, Delhi's squad contains more talented young players and a good number of them are in tremendous forms. As a result, team Capitals will be more confident against the Super Kings ahead of the qualifier 1 encounter on Sunday. On the other side, Chennai have some experienced players who are expected to outperform the opponent in terms of game strategy and on-field displays. READ: Tigers trounce Oman A in warm-up match Delhi Capitals probable playing XI Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel, Ravi Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (Captain & wicket-keeper), Ripal Patel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chennai Super Kings probable playing XI Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali. Read KKR vs. PBKS: KL Rahul guides Punjab to 5-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 Eliminator (KKR vs. RCB) Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Date: October 11 | Time (BST): 8 pm Verdict: Kolkata favourite to beat RCB  Shakib Al Hasan played in the last two Kolkata's round-robin league fixtures, helping his side to finish fourth in the points standings. Kolkata squad is now on a roll, and they have found a winning formula that they can rely on. Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore would be the Kolkata Knight Riders' eliminator opponent. The Bangalore team is also formidable enough to crush the opposite bowling lineups on any given day. Both teams have some extraordinary players and they won a round-robin league match against each other once. Therefore, this fixture promises to be fascinating. READ: T20 World Cup warm-up match: Bangladesh take on Oman A Friday Kolkata Knight Riders probable playing XI Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper) Royal Challengers Bangalore’s probable playing XI Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Glenn Maxwell, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal. Read  IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race Qualifier 2 (DC/CSK vs. KKR/RCB)  Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Date: October 13 | Time (BST): 8 pm The winner of the eliminator and the loser of qualifier 1 will compete for a final spot in the qualifier 2 match. Chennai and Delhi are the two most consistent teams in this year's IPL. Interestingly, whoever wins qualifier 2 will be the favorite to win the competition, because playing two playoffs will make them stronger heading to the final. READ: I didn't ask for votes in BCB election: Nazmul    Despite having some quality players in the squad, Kolkata and Bangalore have failed to maintain consistency in this campaign and this could halt them to advance to the final. However, it will be a knockout game, and the competing teams will try their best to reach the final.  Bottom Line According to the playoff schedule, the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings are the two hot favorites to advance to the IPL 2021 championship match. Meanwhile, if Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore can effectively execute their strategies on the field, they will have a chance. Both Kolkata and Bangalore teams can lose momentum at crucial stages of a game, which can put a halt to their progress. Fans of the Indian Premier League are anticipating an entertaining playoff round this year.  Read IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match?

Delhi Capitals have secured the qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs round after defeating Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets in Dubai. Delhi currently top the points table with 20 points and a game in hand. They will play Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday (October 8) and have a chance to finish top in the IPL 2021 round-robin league points table. On the other hand, Chennai must win their last league match against Punjab Kings on Thursday (October 7) to finish in the top two spots in the standings. The match report of CSK vs. DC is discussed in this article. Match Report: CSK vs. DC Delhi Capitals captain Rishab Pant chose to field first against Chennai Super Kings on Monday in Dubai. Chennai’s Innings   Chennai Super Kings batted first and managed to score 136/5 In their allocated 20 overs. They got off to a good start, as the opening pair put up 28 runs in three overs. However, Chennai's batting collapsed when Faf Du Plessis left the crease, as they lost four wickets for 62 runs in nine overs. Read: IPL 2021: Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan in three-way race for a playoffs spot Indian spinner Axar Patel was the real difference-maker between the two teams. He provided the first breakthrough for Delhi by taking Faf Du Plessis' wicket. He also sent Moeen Ali back to the pavilion in the eighth over. MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu put on a 70-run partnership to help Chennai rebuild their innings. They kept a close eye on the scoreboard in the middle but didn't strive too hard to accelerate the run rates. These two players stayed at the crease till the last over for a competitive total. However, they were unable to produce big shots in the death overs and were forced to settle for a low total. Ambati Rayudu scored the highest runs with 55 off 43 balls, while Dhoni made 18 runs. Delhi's spinners had shown excellent discipline in the middle. They were on target and didn't let them free their arms. Axar Patel took the highest two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs. Ravi Ashwin and pacer Kagiso Rabada were both outstanding with the ball for Delhi. Read: KKR vs. PBKS: KL Rahul guides Punjab to 5-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 Delhi’s Innings Delhi Capitals bowlers did their job very well by limiting Chennai to a manageable score. Delhi reached the 137-run target with two balls to spare. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan gave Delhi a solid start with a 24-run opening partnership between them. Dhawan assumed control of the innings following the departure of Prithvi Shaw (18). Delhi looked strong in the middle but their batting order crumbled, and things looked worse when Dhawan (39) lost his wicket in the 15th over. Delhi were 99/6 at the time. Delhi fought back with an undefeated 28* off 18 balls knock from West Indian power batter Shimron Hetmyer, and triumphed in 19.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur were outstanding with the ball. For Chennai, they each took two wickets. Read T20 World Cup: Bangladesh team reaches Oman Player of the Match Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel was named the best player of the match for his brilliant effort with the ball.     Bottom Line Chennai Super Kings have now lost two consecutive games, and the momentum has shifted back to the Delhi Capitals, who have won two successive matches. Chennai must defeat Punjab in order to secure qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs. Otherwise, they will have to rely on the results of Bangalore's fixtures. Chennai's top order struggled against Delhi, putting the middle order under strain. As a result, they had to settle for a low total to defend. Chennai's top order must rediscover their best rhythm before the crucial playoffs round. On the other side, the Rishab Pant-led Delhi Capitals team has done well as a unit. They have the depth and balance in their squad to win the IPL 2021 tournament. Read: IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race

Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have already qualified for the Indian Premier League's 14th season playoffs. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals are vying for the last playoff spot. Punjab Kings are still in the race mathematically, but their chances are primarily dependent on the results of the round-robin league's other fixtures. Who have a better chance of qualifying for the IPL 2021 playoffs are discussed in this article.  Read: KKR vs. PBKS: KL Rahul guides Punjab to 5-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 IPL 2021: Who will be the Fourth Team in the Playoffs?  Chennai Super Kings lead the IPL 2021 points standings with 18 points as of October 3rd. On the other hand, holding the bottom position with 4 points, Sunrisers Hyderabad are on the verge of getting out of the tournament.   IPL 2021 points table (as of October 3) Team Match Win Lost Points NRR CSK (Q) 12 9 3 18 0.829 DC (Q) 12 9 3 18 0.551 RCB (Q) 12 8 4 16 -0.157 KKR 13 6 7 12 0.294 PBKS 13 5 8 10 -0.241 RR 12 5 7 10 -0.337 MI 12 5 7 10 -0.453 SRH 12 2 10 4 -0.475 Read IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race Kolkata Knight Riders Shakib Al Hasan was finally given an opportunity to take part in the playing XI in Kolkata's most recent encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Shakib contributed with the ball, picking up a wicket in his four overs. Kolkata won the match by 6 wickets and climbed to the fourth position in the points standings. In the round-robin league stage, the Knight Riders have only one game left. However, they outperform the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in terms of run rate. If Kolkata win their next match against Rajasthan Royals on October 7, they will qualify for the playoffs (Thursday). They won't have to rely on the outcomes of other games. Read: IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match? Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians were beaten by Delhi Capitals by four wickets in their most recent match, dropping to second last in the points standings. The next match for Mumbai is on Tuesday against Rajasthan Royals (October 5). The Mumbai Indians must win the game by a large margin to improve their run rates. Furthermore, whoever lose the match will be eliminated from contention for a final playoffs spot.  Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals have struggled to put up their best performances in the UAE phase of the IPL 2021. They have won two and lost three in their last five matches. Rajasthan won their latest match against tournament favorites Chennai Super Kings by 7 wickets in Abu Dhabi and showed some promise as a unit. Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman has been one of Rajasthan's most consistent players with the ball. He has the potential to play a pivotal role in their upcoming games against Mumbai Indians (October 5) and Kolkata Knight Riders (October 7). Rajasthan will move to the next round if they win both games. Read: IPL 2021: Scenarios of Playoffs Qualification for Eight Teams Verdict If the top two teams in the league stage lose their qualifier 1 match of the knockout round, they will be given another opportunity in the playoffs. Therefore, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore are all hoping to finish in the top two positions in the points table. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are in a great position to make the final playoffs spot despite having only one match remaining. If Mumbai, Rajasthan, and Kolkata lose any of their remaining matches, they will be eliminated from the competition. The remainder of the round-robin league fixtures of IPL 2021 will surely be thrilling.  Read T20 World Cup: Bangladesh team reaches Oman

Punjab Kings needed to win over Kolkata Knight Riders to stay in contention for a playoff spot in IPL 2021. They won the match courtesy of a short cameo by Shahrukh Khan while chasing a challenging total. Punjab and Kolkata currently have the same number of points in the standings, with the net run rate separating them. Knight Riders will play two of the bottom teams in their next two matches. On the other hand, the Kings will play RCB and CSK in their final round-robin league matchups. The match report of KKR vs. PBKS is discussed in this article. Match Report: KKR vs. PBKS Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday in Dubai. Kolkata’s Innings Kolkata batted first and scored 165/7 in their allotted 20 overs. They lost their star opener, Shubman Gill in the third over with only 18 runs on the board. However, a 72-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi for the second wicket helped Kolkata reach 90 runs in 12 overs. Read IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race Knight Riders were on set for 200 runs at that point. However, Punjab managed to disrupt the flow of runs by taking two successive wickets in the 14th and 15th overs, respectively. In the dying overs, Nitesh Rana's fiery batting helped Kolkata put up a competitive total on the board. Venkatesh Iyer scored the highest 67 runs for the Knight Riders. Apart from him, Rahul Tripathi made 34 runs and Nitesh Rana played a 31 off 18 balls knock. Arshdeep Singh was a little expensive, but he took the highest three wickets for Punjab Kings.    Punjab’s Innings Chasing a difficult target, openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal gave Punjab Kings a perfect start with a 70-run stand between them in 8.5 overs. They were a bit watchful but they kept a solid pace in the middle. Kolkata's spinner Varun Chakravarthy provided the much-needed breakthrough in the ninth over, dismissing Mayank Agarwal (40). He struck again in two overs, sending West Indian Nicholas Pooran back to the pavilion. Read Tigers to leave for T20 World Cup on October 3 KL Rahul and Proteas power hitter Aiden Markram then put up a crucial 45-run partnership to take the total to 129 in 16 overs.  Markram lost his wicket after an important 18-run innings.  Despite losing wickets at the other end, Captain KL Rahul stayed at the crease till the last over and made sure Punjab remained in the chase. Rahul's anchoring innings (67) came to an end in the second delivery of the 20th over. Punjab's young power hitter Shahrukh Khan played a key role with the bat. He scored an unbeaten 22* from 9 balls to give Punjab a five-wicket victory. Kolkata's most successful bowler was Varun Chakravarthy (4-0-24-2). Read Mushfiqur, Imrul hit fifties as Bangladesh A register easy win Player of the Match Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul was named the best player of the match for his guided 67-run innings.  Bottom Line Kolkata lost the KKR vs. PBKS contest after three consecutive victories in the UAE phase. Kolkata cannot afford to lose momentum at this crucial stage of the round-robin league. The Knight Riders must win their next two matches for a playoff berth. Otherwise, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings will seize the opportunity and move up the points table. On the other hand, defeating Kolkata was a huge result for the Punjab team. Now they are heading to their next two matches with greater confidence. Punjab's next two opponents, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have already qualified for the playoffs. Both teams may deploy some young players against Punjab in order to test the strength of their respective squads. If they do, Punjab will have the upper hand in both the fixtures. Read BCB election 2021: 32 candidates submit nomination papers  

Kolkata Knight Riders resumed their IPL 2021 campaign in Abu Dhabi with a 9-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kolkata's bowling unit was outstanding in the match. Bangalore were bowled out for 92 runs, and Kolkata needed only 10 overs to reach the target. Kolkata could deploy their winning eleven in the MI vs. KKR match on Thursday (September 23) in Abu Dhabi, thus Shakib Al Hasan's chance of making the playing XI is minimal. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians restarted their season with a 20-run loss against Chennai Super Kings. They will be eager to regain their winning rhythm.   Read: IPL 2021: Scenarios of Playoffs Qualification for Eight Teams MI vs. KKR: Team News With 8 points, the Mumbai Indians are in fifth place, while the Kolkata Knight Riders are in sixth place with 6 points. The 14th season of the IPL is currently at a pivotal moment, with each team vying for a top spot in the standings. Losing a match means a big drop in the points table, and net run rate is an important consideration as well. Two of Mumbai Indians' key players Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya did not participate in the match against Chennai Super Kings. These two might play in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Aside from that, any changes to the Mumbai playing XI are unlikely. Read: Kohli to step down from Bangalore captaincy after IPL season Most runs (Mumbai): Rohit Sharma (250) | Most Wickets (Mumbai): Rahul Chahar (11) Probable Playing XI (Mumbai):  Rohit Sharma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah The Kolkata Knight Riders are unlikely to make any changes to their lineup. For Kolkata, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, and Lockie Ferguson were all outstanding with the ball against Bangalore. Batsmen had little trouble chasing down the target after a superb bowling performance. As a result, Eoin Morgan and the rest of the team will put their faith in these players to confront the defending IPL champion Mumbai Indians. Shakib Al Hasan will have to wait till the next match if Kolkata stick with the same lineup. Shakib has to play more regularly in order to thrive in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Read: Mustafizur departs for Dubai to play IPL Most runs (Kolkata): Nitesh Rana (201) | Most Wickets (Kolkata): Andre Russell (10) Probable Playing XI (Kolkata):  Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy Match Time (MI vs KKR): 8 pm (Bangladesh Standard Time) | Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi)   Read:IPL 2021: Those who are at the Top Before the Tournament Resume Head-to-Head: MI vs. KKR Mumbai Indians have an excellent recent record against Kolkata Knight Riders. They have won 12 times in the past 13 meetings with Kolkata. So, Knight Riders have recently found it difficult to compete with the Indians. Both teams have played each other 28 times in total. Mumbai leads the head-to-head record with 22 victories, while Kolkata have only won 6 games. Read: Shakib, Mustafizur unlikely to play in the remainder of IPL 2021 Bottom Line Kolkata Knight Riders are in desperate need of a win, as they have only 6 points from their first eight games. Knight Riders must win at least four more matches in the next six in order to qualify for the playoffs. It's crucial for the Kolkata team to keep their winning streak intact. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have 8 points from 8 games and need to win at least three of their remaining matches. Therefore, we may anticipate a competitive clash between these two teams, with the winner moving up the IPL 2021 points table.

The 14th season of the IPL began on April 9 this year. However, the competition was postponed on 2nd May 2021 because of the outbreak of the coronavirus. A total of 60 matches were to be played at the IPL 14 and 29 matches were played when the BCCI postponed the league. The league resumed on 19th September in the UAE, with the remaining 31 matches taking place in this country. Before the suspension, Delhi Capitals were in first place in the points standings, with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last place with only two points. Let's have a look at the IPL 2021 playoffs qualification scenarios.    Playoffs Qualification Scenarios of IPL 2021 The league has reached halfway of its journey. The scenario of the points table is described below.   Chennai Super kings Veteran MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings resumed their campaign with a 20-run victory over Mumbai Indians on Sunday (September 19) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This was a crucial game for Chennai in their quest for a playoff spot. The victory elevated them to the top of the points standings. Chennai have six games left in this season and will qualify for the playoffs if they can win at least two more matches.   Chennai’s remaining fixtures:  RCB (24th Sep), KKR (26th Sep), SRH (30th Sep), RR (2nd OCT), DC (4th OCT), PBKS (7th OCT)   Also read: Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper Delhi Capitals Delhi's regular captain Shreyas Iyer has stepped down as captain at least for the time being. Now, Iyer’s full focus is on his batting. India's number one wicket-keeper Rishab Pant has been named captain for the remainder of the season. This group has some incredible talents and they have worked well together. Delhi Capitals are presently tied with Chennai Super Kings for first place in the points table. So, they are only two victories away from securing a playoff berth. Delhi’s remaining fixtures:  SRH (22nd Sep), RR (25th Sep), KKR (28th Sep), MI (2nd OCT), CSK (4th OCT), RCB (8th OCT) Read ​​​​​​​Tamim Iqbal desires to win the 2023 World Cup as Captain Royal Challengers Bangalore Virat Kohli has announced that he will leave the captaincy role of RCB after the IPL 2021 season. Kohli's choice has shocked many cricket fans across the world given that he has been an effective leader both for club and country. Royal Challengers Bangalore are presently in third place in the IPL 2021 points table. They must win at least three of their remaining games to advance to the next round.  Bangalore’s remaining fixtures:  CSK (24th Sep), MI (26th Sep), RR (29th Sep), PBKS (3rd OCT), SRH (6th OCT), DC (8th OCT)    Also read: IPL 2021: Those who are at the Top Before the Tournament Resume Mumbai Indians Rohit Sharma's side has some real match-winners, and they usually play better at the tournament's key stages. However, the most successful team in IPL history Mumbai Indians are struggling this season. They have lost four games and won only four so far. Mumbai Indians need to win four more games in order to secure a place in the playoffs. Mumbai’s remaining fixtures: KKR (23rd Sep), RCB (26th Sep), PBKS (28th Sep), DC (2nd OCT), RR (5th OCT), SRH (8th OCT)      Read T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 1

The IPL 2021 was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus epidemic in India. Later, the BCCI contacted the United Arab Emirates to host the remaining tournament during the September-October period. The decision was made within a month, and the UAE was picked to host the remainder of the competition. The UAE and Oman will co-host the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in October-November window following this franchise-based Twenty20 competition. Only 29 matches were played in the IPL 2021 before it was postponed. Before the IPL 2021 resumes in September, let's take a look at who's at the top.