The ongoing 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now reaching its business end, and the competition to secure a place in the playoffs is heating up every day. As of now, none of the ten teams have secured their place in the playoffs, and all of them are still vying for the coveted spots.
At present, the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) are at the top of the points table with 12 points from nine matches and they have a strong chance of securing a spot in the top four. However, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – currently at the bottom of the league standings – are not out of the tournament either.
With the competition for the playoffs intensifying with each fixture, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh – who has played for teams like Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has picked four teams that he believes have the best chance of making it to the next stage.
Bhajji went with Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat and MS Dhoni-led Chennai as the first two teams. He then named Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to complete his list. Interestingly, Harbhajan didn’t pick Rajasthan Royals (RR), who have won five out of nine games and carry the best net run rate (NRR) while sitting at fourth position.
“Jaha tak mujhe lagta hai, ek toh aapki GT jaur rahegi waha pe. Dusri jo team hai, waha par Chennai Super Kings jarur rahegi. Teesri team Mumbai Indians. Abhi vo bahut peeche hai par meri apni soch hai ki vo waha par rahegi. (As far as I think one will be GT. The second will definitely be the Chennai Super Kings. The third team is going to be MI. You might say that they are so low at present, but they will reach),” said Harbhajan while speaking on Star Sports.
“Aur RCB iss baar mujhe lagta hai pehle 4 mein dikhegi. RR mujhe lagta hai waha rahegi par in the end koi na koi aage nikal jayega. Mumbai Indians aage nikal jayegi. (And the fourth will be RCB. I think RR will be on the verge, but in the end, somebody will leapfrog them. Mumbai Indians might overtake them),” he added.
