CSK at disadvantage due to IPL scheduling misfortune: Why it happens and what BCCI can do to make things fairer

In their final league game of the 2014 IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced a daunting task. Led by Gautam Gambhir, the side needed to chase down 161 in just 14.2 overs to secure second place on the points table, which would grant them two opportunities to reach the final.

What seemed nearly impossible turned into an iconic IPL moment. Yusuf Pathan produced a blistering knock of 72 off just 22 balls, powering KKR to victory well inside the required overs. They climbed to second place and eventually went on to win the title.

Interestingly, the team they displaced, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), had already completed their league campaign. KKR knew exactly what margin they needed, giving them a clear advantage over CSK who could just watch it all unfold. Ruturaj Gaikwad's men find themselves on the receiving end of a similar scheduling misfortune in 2026.

More from Firstcricket

How CSK could miss out because of NRR

On Thursday, May 21, CSK will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in what will be the final league match for both sides. This means they will be the first teams to finish their league phase.

After the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, CSK’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. There remains a possibility that Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and CSK all finish on 14 points, with Net Run Rate (NRR) deciding who advances. In such a scenario, finishing early puts CSK at a significant disadvantage. While DC play last among the three, they might not have the advantage as their NRR is in tatters. Rajasthan Royals, with a similar NRR to CSK, can have the advantage of knowing the exact margin required in their final game.

Gujarat Titans could also suffer. Even if they win their last match, SRH may still overtake them on NRR as they would know the margin of victory required in their final match.

The football way to fairness

This issue is not new to sport.

At the 1982 FIFA World Cup, West Germany and Austria played out the infamous “Disgrace of Gijon.” Knowing the exact result needed to advance, both teams colluded in a 1-0 match that eliminated a threatening Algeria.

The global backlash was swift. From the 1986 World Cup onwards, FIFA ruled that the final two matches in each group must be played simultaneously. Most European football leagues have since adopted similar policies, scheduling all decisive final-round matches at the same time to protect the integrity of the competition.

In contrast, most American leagues and nearly all cricket tournaments, including the IPL, have avoided this largely due to broadcast revenue concerns. While this staggered approach makes financial sense, it creates an unfair disadvantage for teams that finish their league stage early.

How can BCCI find its own way?

Unlike European football leagues, the IPL is a closed league with no promotion or relegation, a model similar to major American sports. However, the IPL can still improve fairness without sacrificing on revenue.

One practical solution is to use the previous season’s final standings to determine the order of fixtures in the final week. Bottom-placed teams from the prior year could play earlier, while the defending champions and runners-up play the last league matches.

This middle-ground approach would bring greater equity to the scheduling while preserving the league’s commercial interests. Even by this logic, CSK would have to finish their campaign at the earliest because they ended with the wooden spoon last season. However, it would at least have a logic attached to it, unlike the current commercially driven approach.