Sunrisers Hyderabad secured a spot in the Indian Premier League play-offs on Thursday, as their IPL match against Gujarat Titans was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. This made SRH the third team to qualify after Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, who currently hold the top two positions in the standings.
The rain persisted throughout the evening, causing the toss to be delayed and rendering the outfield wet. Despite efforts to prepare for a potential shortened game, the rain showed no signs of stopping, leading officials to call off the match. This marked the second game in this IPL to be abandoned due to rain and wet outfield.
With this abandoned match, Sunrisers gained one point, elevating their total to 15 points with one game remaining. Their final league encounter is scheduled against Punjab Kings on May 19, a team already eliminated from the tournament.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans, the runners-up from last year and champions of 2022, were ousted from the play-off race following the abandonment of their previous match due to rain. They concluded the season with 12 points from 14 matches.
Four teams, namely Chennai Super Kings (14 points), Royal Challengers Bangalore (12 points), Delhi Capitals (14 points), and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points), remain in contention for the last play-off spot.
The scenario is contingent upon the outcomes of upcoming matches. If Lucknow Super Giants defeat Mumbai Indians, they will reach 14 points and stay in contention. However, Chennai Super Kings will secure the spot if they defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore, or if the match is washed out on Saturday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore can clinch the fourth spot if they beat Chennai Super Kings by at least 18 runs or with 11 balls to spare, thereby matching the 14 points earned by Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants (if they win).