Patna Pirates, Bengal Warriors or Telugu Titans? Who will make it into the PKL playoffs

Bengaluru Bulls 

Patna Pirates are currently at the second position and are ahead of Telugu Titans by five points after playing the same number of games. They don’t have a chance of going to the top of the points table in the zone but would definitely want to finish second to avoid meeting either U Mumba or Gujarat Fortunegiants from the other zone. They can get 65 total points by winning both their remaining games against Bengal Warriors and Gujarat Fortunegiants and by that they can stay ahead of Telugu Titans while Bengal will still have a chance of overtaking them but in worst case scenario, they will finish third and make it to the playoffs. The defending champs can make it to the next round by winning only one game and collecting a losing point from the other as well which will take them to a total of 61 points because the Telugu Titans can only reach up to 60 by winning both their remaining matches.

Telugu Titans

Telugu Titans are currently third on the points table with 50 points from 20 matches and at max can go on till 60 by winning their remaining two matches against Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors. Even after winning their two matches, the Titans will not get a direct qualification into the next round. They will have to pray for Patna’s defeat in both the games which will put them ahead of the Pirates. If Patna wins one and loses the other by a margin of more than seven points then both the teams will be at the same position and the point difference will be calculated in which the Pirates are ahead at this stage. The Titans can still make it to the playoffs by losing one game but for that to happen they will want Bengal to lose as many as five games and most of them by a margin of more than seven points which is practically impossible. 

Currently out of the three teams fighting for a playoff spot in the zone, Bengal Warriors have a very good chance of making it to the playoffs and even get to the top of the points table in the zone. From 16 matches, the Kolkata-based side has 48 points so far and they have their home leg coming up next and will be playing six more matches before the end of the league stage. They can guarantee a place in the playoffs with two wins and three losing points from the six remaining games by which they can get to 61 points at the end. But, the Bengal Warriors can aim for a good finish to the league stage and get to the second position which will allow them to face Dabang Delhi in the first game of the playoffs.

For that, the Warriors will have to get three wins and three losing points to overtake Patna, Pirates and finish second in the zone. Bengal Warriors will be facing Tamil Thalaivas, Patna Pirates, Dabang Delhi, Telugu Titans, Bengaluru Bulls, and UP Yoddha in their remaining matches out of which they can at least get three wins against teams like Tamil, Delhi, and UP and the matches against Patna, Telugu, and Bengaluru will decide where they will finish in top three. If they win all their remaining games and don’t allow the Bulls to get the one losing point in their penultimate match, they will be the table-toppers at the end of the league stage - a situation Bulls should be wary of.