IPL 2022 has almost reached its halfway point, and things are becoming more apparent for the fans to speculate which teams will participate in the IPL playoffs scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
What’s unique in Tata IPL 2022 is that ten teams are fighting for the top-four spots in the IPL playoffs. This year Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants have been added to the number of teams participating in the tournament.
Both newly born franchises are doing great; in fact, Gujarat Titans are the table toppers with 5 wins in 7 games. On the other hand, the two heavyweights of the tournament, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, are on the verge of being thrown out of the race for the IPL playoffs. Mumbai Indians have yet to win a game, while CSK has only 2 wins in 7 games.
The competition is getting tougher and more challenging as the teams have settled down with their playing Xis after the mega auction changed all the pre-set combinations for the teams. Will Mumbai and Chennai bounce back, or will the Gujarat and Lucknow sail through the group stage?
Here are our 4 picks to enter the IPL playoffs in 2022:
1- Royal Challengers Bangalore
Under Faf du Plessis’s captaincy, RCB has found ways to win from precarious situations. Even though Virat Kohli is going through a lean patch and Faf has performed only in a couple of games, they have won 5 out of their 7 games. Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed and Josh Hazlewood have been their key to success. Somehow or another, they can win the crunch situation in the game to make dramatic returns. It might be the year that RCB finally lifts the trophy.
2- Gujarat Titans
The table-toppers at halfway in IPL 2022 with an impressive 5 wins out of the 7 games. Many cricket pundits and experts called Gujarat an incomplete and confusing side after the mega auction. However, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, Gujarat has defied all odds to become the most successful team of this season. They are winning through complete team effort as one of their players comes good in a game to uplift their spirits. Hardik Pandya, David Miller, and Rahul Tewatia have won them some nail-biting thrillers to prove that this team possesses the spirit to go further ahead in the tournament.
3- Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Super Giants, mentored by two times IPL winner Gautam Gambhir turned out to be one of the most balanced and formidable sides of Tata IPL 2022. With 4 wins under their belt and KL Rahul finally finding his form, Lucknow has all the chances of making it to the IPL playoffs in its first attempt. They have a talented bunch that perform together to win the games. Avesh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya from Lucknow have outshined some of the nuggets superstars playing in IPL 2022.
4- Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan is indeed playing like Royal this season. After carefully building a great team in the mega auction, they have been fantastic. Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal have been their key to success and are also the ones to possess orange and purple caps in IPL 2022. A team with both the highest scorer and highest-wicket-taker is bound to reach the IPL playoffs.
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