Tuesday’s match in Delhi is a do-or-die battle for both the teams involved. But even if they ‘do’ (win the game), there’s no guarantee that their chances would ultimately not ‘die’ a death before the playoffs.

The equations as the IPL moves nearer to the playoffs stage always get complicated, and it’s no different this time.

Delhi have no option but to win the game on Tuesday. More importantly, they will have to win by a big margin. That will take them to 14 points and give their net run rate a boost. But that alone would not be enough as they would have to hope that the results in the other matches go in their favour somehow. It’s actually too steep a mountain to climb.

Lucknow are better-placed, but not by much. They have to win against Delhi and get full points in their last game in Mumbai too. That will take them to 16 points. But then again, just like Delhi, it might not be enough for them to sneak into the playoffs. For that, they will have to hope that Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, both on 14 points, don’t make it to 16, because both these teams have a better net run-rate than Lucknow.

In such a scenario, it’s very difficult for the players to concentrate. But they don’t have a choice, the demands of a cut-throat tournament like the IPL do not offer you breathing space often.

So Delhi’s Rishabh Pant and Lucknow’s KL Rahul will have to motivate their sides to come up with their best and forget the rest.

Much of the spotlight will be on Rahul, after videos of his on-field chat with team owner Sanjiv Goenka following their loss in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad went viral. No one is sure what the two were discussing, but speculations are that the skipper was severely reprimanded by the owner after a lacklustre performance. Will Rahul then be in the right mindset ahead of such a crucial game?

Pant, who missed the last game, has no such problems though. But that’s no advantage either.