The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs race is intensifying, with Rajasthan Royals (RR) leading the pack and no team yet eliminated from contention. RR has dominated the competition so far, amassing 14 points. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are all tied at 10 points each. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Gujarat Titans (GT) are also in the hunt with 8 points apiece.
Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has predicted RR, KKR, and CSK as his favorites to reach the playoffs, with the fourth spot being a toss-up between SRH and Mumbai Indians (MI).
“Three teams are selecting themselves: CSK, KKR, and RR. There are two teams that I think… One is SRH, and I don’t know why, but I feel like taking a gamble on MI, no matter what,” Sidhu said in a video posted by Star Sports. “I always feel MI has the tenacity to overcome difficult situations. They are like a rubber ball, the more you hit them, the stronger they become. If they can sort out their bowling and Hardik [Pandya] comes back into his own, MI is a lethal side.”
MI has struggled to gain momentum in IPL 2024, sitting eighth in the points table with three victories. The Hardik Pandya-led side has faced controversies and suffered three consecutive defeats at the start of the competition.
Sidhu previously commented on the speculation surrounding Hardik replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain. “Nobody can digest the fact that India’s hero, India’s captain, is not the captain of our franchise. ‘What wrong has he done?’ is what fans of the franchise would be thinking,” Sidhu said on Star Sports. “But what does he have to do? There is nothing that succeeds like success. If he had won these two matches, there wouldn’t have been any noise.”
