Is MI out of IPL 2021: How can Mumbai Indians qualify for IPL 2021 playoffs?

Is MI out of IPL 2021: Defending champions Mumbai Indians have been below par in the ongoing second leg of IPL 2021.

There is no going into a safe house regarding the fact that Mumbai Indians are the most successful team in the history of Indian Premier League. The current defending champions have lifted the IPL trophy on as many as five occasions – all under Rohit Sharma.

Having said that, Sharma and his men haven’t been at their best in the ongoing 14th season of the IPL. It was especially in the second leg of the season in the UAE that Indians lost three matches in a row to further degrade their cause as far as qualifying for the playoffs is concerned.

While Mumbai returned to winning ways by beating Punjab Kings by 6 wickets on Thursday, they are again having a tough time in their ongoing match against Delhi Capitals where they’ve been reduced to 129/8 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.

Is MI out of IPL 2021?

No.

In the 11 matches that Mumbai have played this season, they have won five and lost six to be at the sixth position on the points table. Readers must note that Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are also on 10 points at this point in time but both KKR and PBKS have a better NR  (Net Run Rate) than MI.

How can Mumbai Indians qualify for IPL 2021 playoffs?

The most straightforward way for Mumbai to qualify for IPL 2021 playoffs is to win all their remaining last league matches. In addition to successfully defending 130 runs against Capitals right now, MI will also have to beat Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad next week. In such a scenario, Indians will have 16 points to their name and will easily qualify as either the third or the fourth-ranked team.

Assuming that MI lose against Delhi, they will still have a chance by beating the comparatively weaker Royals and Sunrisers on Tuesday and Friday respectively. However, a lot will depend on their (currently poor) NRR as four teams will be qualifying for two spots then irrespective of results of other matches.

It is worth mentioning that Chennai Super Kings and DC have already qualified for IPL 2021 playoffs. Royals and Sunrisers, on the other hand, have minimal chances of qualifying. Even if Royal Challengers Bangalore lose all their remaining matches, they will still challenge MI for the fourth spot especially if the latter loses today.