We are heading towards another exciting weekend of the IPL 2023 season as five great matches are waiting for us over the course of three days. There's no doubt that these matches are also going to be edge-of-the-seat thrillers, just like the rest of the season, and here we shall take a look at the possible outcomes of these matches.
May 12: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans clearly seem the favourites to win this encounter owing to a superior bowling attack. The Titans have also secured a playoff berth already and they will look to play a fearless brand of cricket. However, Mumbai Indians have also enjoyed a good run in the last four games, where they have won three of those contests. Their bowling unit might not be as threatening as that of the Titans, but it is working quite effectively.
Moreover, they have mostly batted their opposition out of the contest in these matches. Their batting line-up is formidable and they will depend on it once again to challenge the Titans. Beating Gujarat is still going to be a tough job, considering the form they have been in.
May 13: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants
SRH started the season as one of the favourites, but, as it has turned out now, they are struggling to make it to the playoffs. They are sitting in ninth place with four wins from ten matches, and they will need to win all of their remaining four games in case they want to make it to the playoffs. That is an uphill task but they can get one step closer towards it when they take on an out-of-form and injury stricken Lucknow Super Giants.
The Super Giants lost their skipper KL Rahul due to thigh injury, and they are winless in their last three games. They are still sitting in fourth place, though, but they also need to win their remaining three matches to assure themselves of a playoff spot. Talking about this battle, SRH are likely to win this contest as they have found some form going in their favour. Their batting unit is doing well and the bowlers have stepped up.
May 13: Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings
Delhi Capitals are still in the playoff contention mathematically, but their hopes took a serious dent when they lost to CSK. They have three games remaining now; wins in all of these matches will take them to 14 points, which might not be enough as they have a poor NRR. On the other hand, Punjab Kings still have a chance as they have registered five wins in their 11 games. Victories in their remaining three games will easily take them to the playoffs, but they are coming into this contest on the back of consecutive losses.
The Kings are a very good team, and that's why they are expected to bounce back in this contest against the Delhi side that has been far from their best this season. The Capitals are going to find it very hard to deal with Punjab's batting unit. That will be a major difference in the contest as the Capitals' batters have misfired throughout the season.
May 14: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Rajasthan Royals were one of the pre-tournament favourites to win the trophy. But three losses in a row have derailed their campaign; now they need to win all of their remaining three games to get into the playoffs. There are no such major problems to pinpoint, though. Their batting has been firing big time and bowlers are doing a good job. But their death bowling has definitely been an area of concern and it has cost them matches as well. They will look to improve upon that in this game.
RCB, on the other hand, are still in contention for playoffs as well. The equation is the same for them as the Royals — to win all of the remaining three games. So they will look to come out all guns blazing in this match. But they have been heavily dependent on the batting exploits of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell in this season. And it's very important for at least one of them to fire to put up a good total on the board.
Their bowling was also taken to the cleaners by Mumbai in the last game and things could turn out to be quite similar against a formidable Royals batting unit as well. The Royals are definitely a more balanced side in every department than RCB, and that's why they are the favourites going into this battle.
May 14: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
CSK need just one more win to guarantee playoffs as they take on KKR at home on Sunday evening. The Super Kings have registered wins in both of their previous matches. They are in form, and the fact that they will be playing at home makes them an even more formidable unit. MS Dhoni will look to choke the KKR batters with his spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and Maheesh Theekshana.
However, KKR have some good players of spin, such as Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Nitish Rana. They will have a vital role to play in this contest. KKR's bowling unit has also stepped up big time in the last few games and that has helped them in stitching together back-to-back wins in the last two games. KKR have the potential to beat CSK, but that isn't going to be easy at Chepauk. That's why CSK will start as slight favourites to win the clash.