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

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