Things are not looking great for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Their chances of qualifying for the playoffs seem very slim even though they are still in the fight for the last four spots in the league.
Things changed for them after suffering another disappointing defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. They were on the receiving end of a 28-run thrashing at the hands of Chennai Super Kings in what was a reverse match between the teams at the stadium in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in Dharamshala.
Punjab Kings looked like favorites to win the game, especially after how things unfolded in the first innings of the game. They bowled superbly well and did not let the Chennai Super Kings batsman settle down at all at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
Punjab Kings contributed wickets at regular intervals and restricted Chennai Super Kings to a total of 167 runs. Harshal Patel and Rahul Chahar were the pick of the bowlers as they both picked three wickets each, while Arshdeep Singh grabbed two scalps and Sam Curran picked one.
With the bat, it was a horrible outing for the Punjab Kings. They lost wickets at regular intervals and couldn’t get going at all. Jonny Bairstow (7) and Rilee Rossouw lost their wickets in the second over and that broke the backbone of the team at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Prabhsimran Singh (30) and Shashank Singh (27) had more than 50 partnerships and it looked like it would be a close contest. However, Chennai Super Kings made a solid comeback after that and put pressure on Punjab Kings as they lost wickets regularly after that.
No other batsman could get going after that as Punjab Kings managed only 139 runs. They lost the game by 28 runs to record another disappointing loss in the tournament.
Punjab Kings qualification scenario for IPL 2024
Punjab Kings are currently at 8th place in the points table with only 4 wins under their belt. They also have 7 losses and only 8 points under their belt with an NRR of -0.187. Their chances of qualifying for the playoffs took a big hit after the loss against Chennai Super Kings.
To qualify for the playoffs, they must ensure they win all the remaining matches. This will take them to 14 points but will not guarantee them a playoff spot. They will need other results to continue their path if they want to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
They would want Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad to win just one of the remaining games of the tournament. For PBKS to qualify, Delhi Capitals must not win more than two games, apart from RCB and GT losing one of the remaining games.
This would take CSK, LSG, SRH and PBKS to 14 points. Then, according to the NRR, the Punjab-based franchise can move forward.