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New Delhi: Kings XI Punjab's defeat to Deccan Chargers on Saturday, the top four slots in IPL 4 are booked. But you might need your calculators out on Sunday as the race now heats up for the top two slots.
It is clear that Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians will be in the playoffs.
What remains to be decided are their placings, which will depend on the outcomes of the RCB-CSK and KKR-MI games on Sunday.
The winner of the first match will top the table, while the loser of the second will be placed fourth. If CSK wins the first game, RCB will finish third and the winner of the KKR-MI game will finish second.
However, if Chennai loses, the winner of the KKR-MI match will be tied with CSK on points and the second and third spots will then be decided on net run rates.
In that case, CSK will hope that it loses by a narrow margin and Mumbai wins the second game, since Sachin's boys have the lowest net run rate of the four teams at the moment.
Finishing in the top two is not just a matter of bragging rights. The format for this season gives the first two teams two shots at getting into the final.
A unique eliminator concept means that the top two teams first play each other, with the winner making the final, and the loser then playing the winner of the other playoff to decide the second finalist.
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