IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians witness massive surge in play-offs hope after Suryakumar Yadav's RCB annihilation at Wankhede

Delhi Capitals, who have won four out of their last five matches, will play their 11th tie against Chennai Super Kings at their backyard on Wednesday.

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians, who started the IPL 2023 on a slow note, find themselves in a strong position as the season reaches the business end. After securing a convincing win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai have now climbed to the Top 3 with 12 points from 11 matches.

Suryakumar Yadav bats during the IPL encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore (AP)

Bangalore, on the other hand, are still being haunted by inconsistency as they slip to the seventh spot with 10 points from 11 encounters.

Meanwhile, defending champions Gujarat Titans lead the charts and given the form they've displayed it won't be wrong to say they can become the first side to qualify for the play-offs.

Gujarat are followed by MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings, who have 13 points from 11 games.

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If we look at the play-offs scenario it looks very intense with only Gujarat maintaining a solid lead at the top. The remaining nine teams are mostly separated by a point apart from the bottom-placed sides Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, who have eight points each from 10 encounters.

Another interesting factor is the congestion in the mid-table, with four sides – Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Bangalore, and Punjab Kings – having 10 points after playing the same number of fixtures, which is 11.

All the top 8 teams have played 11 matches each and Delhi and Sunrisers are the only sides to have played one match less so far.

Delhi Capitals, who have won four out of their last five matches, will play their 11th tie against Chennai Super Kings in their backyard on Wednesday. Given the form David Warner and his unit have displayed, CSK are no longer the clear favourites despite the massive difference between their rankings on the table.

So if we look at the play-offs race many would want Delhi to continue their winning momentum as it will lift Warner and Co. to 10 points from 11 matches, while CSK will remain second without further additions to their tally of 13.

Meanwhile, a big win can even lift Delhi somewhere in the mid-table as five franchises will be locked at 10 points, making the play-offs race more intense.