IPL 2024: Former India seamer Zaheer Khan highlighted the significance of the upcoming clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), emphasizing that it will determine the fourth team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs.
RCB will face CSK in a crucial encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, a match eagerly awaited by fans as it will decide the final playoff spot. Zaheer expressed his anticipation, stating, “The RCB-CSK clash will be a big and very important match, there is no doubt about that. Everyone will be waiting for this match because with this the IPL will get its fourth team for the playoffs.”
With 14 points from 13 matches, CSK currently holds the fourth position on the points table, while RCB is sixth with 12 points from the same number of games. Additionally, CSK boasts a superior net run rate of 0.528 compared to RCB’s 0.387.
For RCB to replace CSK in the top four, they need to win the match by at least 18 runs if they score a minimum of 200 runs batting first, or win within 18.1 overs if they are chasing a target of 200.
However, a victory for CSK in the match will secure their qualification for the IPL 2024 playoffs, regardless of the margin of victory.
Switching gears, Zaheer extended his best wishes to Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He emphasized the importance of supporting and backing the selected team, highlighting Rohit Sharma’s leadership qualities. India, placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA, will begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. The squad includes Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), and other key players, with Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan serving as reserves.