Third plays fourth in the second qualifier, with the winner of that game playing the loser of the first for a place in the final. Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders are all in contention, but Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are led by England's 50-over World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss, were bottom with just one win.Ī reminder of the knockout format: First meet second in the first qualifier, with the winner automatically reaching the final. RCB, who are yet to win the tournament were third, while five-time winners Mumbai were fourth.
When the tournament was halted, 2020 runners-up Delhi Capitals led the eight-team table, with three-time winners Chennai Super King second. They will also host the men's T20 World Cup that follows from 23 October to 14 November so we may see IPL games played on fewer pitches, meaning they get slower, and scores decrease, as the tournament progresses. Matches will be played in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The tournament has moved from India to United Arab Emirates, where the entire 2020 edition was played. That leaves 31 games left to play - 27 in the group stage, before the three knockout games and final between 10 and 15 October. What is the state of play and how many games are left? The organisers said it had "unanimously decided" to postpone the season, with 29 group games played. "I try to bowl accurately and to my field - I don't mind boundaries here and there as long as my planning and execution is good.It was played against a backdrop of rising cases, and deaths, from Covid-19 in India, but the tournament was unaffected until 3 May when two Kolkata Knight Riders' players, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, tested positive, meaning their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore was postponed.Ī day later the tournament was suspended amid rising cases within the tournament, with a Sunrisers Hyderabad player testing positive before their match. Speaking after the game, Iyer said: "It felt very good - I always had confidence that I could deliver with the ball. It went for 10, but only because of a terrible misfield and an unnecessary overthrow. Morgan entrusted him with the penultimate over too. He threw the ball to Iyer and he dismissed Shimron Hetmyer, caught at long-off, and Axar Patel - caught at mid-wicket - in successive overs to leave Delhi reeling at 92-6. The former accounting student had only bowled one over in the tournament, but West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell's hamstring injury meant Morgan had to find a solution in the field. He had so far impressed with the bat - scoring 112 runs in three innings, at a strike rate of 155.55 - but here he produced with the ball. One was bringing in 26-year-old Venkatesh Iyer for his IPL debut. KKR were below par before the tournament was halted in May, and the resumption prompted them into making changes as they looked to earn a play-off place. 'Remember the name' - Iyer continues to impress Thankfully for Morgan, contributions from Narine, Shubman Gill (30 off 33) and Rana (36 not out off 27) were enough to guide his side to their third victory from four games since the resumption. It was a soft dismissal, and one of a batter out of form. His latest dismissal came via a thick edge, after he barely moved his feet looking to drive through the covers, off the off-spin of Ravichandran Ashwin. With the men's T20 World Cup starting in the United Arab Emirates straight after the IPL, Morgan needs to find some form.
He averages just 11.88 for Kolkata in this year's IPL, and just five in three innings since the resumption two weekends ago.ĭuring the summer, he averaged just 12.25 in four Twenty20 internationals for England, and 21.57 in The Hundred. Morgan's troubles continueĮoin Morgan's form has been a concern for much of 2021. Delhi missed the chance to go top of the table, but remain well-placed to qualify in the top two. Kolkata stay fourth in the eight-team table, but move to 10 points - clear of three teams on eight points.
He fell with six needed, but Nitish Rana saw them home with 10 balls left.ĭelhi made 127-9 with captain Rishabh Pant and the returning Steve Smith both making 39.