CCL 2023 Points Table: Karnataka Bulldozers, Telugu Warriors & more - Who's in the semis & who's out?

We are nearing the business end of the 2023 edition of the Celebrity Cricket League and just as hope, the tournament has been a nip-and-tuck affair so far. On the one hand, teams like Karnataka Bulldozers and Bhojpuri Dabanggs have marched into the semi-finals without any trouble and currently look like the favourites to lift the trophy. On the other, the Kerala Strikers and Bengal Tigers have struggled right from the word go and are reeling at the bottom of the points table, with no possibility left to make it to the knock-out stage. 

And with the fates of these four teams already decided, the remaining four sides are set to battle it out amongst themselves for a spot in the semis. Only four games remain before the list of the top four is drawn and with the contest poised quite tightly, the upcoming matches are sure to offer a lot of excitement. 

As of March 6th, the Karnataka Bulldozers and Bhojpuri Dabanggs are in the top two positions with the Telugu Warriors placed third and the Mumbai Heroes standing fourth with 4 points each. The Heroes put on a solid show on Sunday to beat, and also evict, the Kerala Strikers by 7 runs - they will next face the Bengal Tigers on March 12 and a win would help them secure a semi-finals spot.

A loss for Mumbai Heroes, however, would mean that they are stuck at 4 points and should the Punjab De Sher win their contest against Karnataka Bulldozers on March 11th, it will then come down to the net run rate or NRR. Currently, the Heroes are dealing with a -0.874 NRR with Sonu Sood's Sher faring slightly better at -0.719 NRR. 

The Chennai Rhinos, too, are in a slightly tricky position with only one win under their belt. They are currently in the fifth position but are doing better compared to their counterparts in terms of NRR with 0.425. Their next and final league-stage game is a mighty crucial one with the Telugu Warriors facing them in Jodhpur on March 12th. If the Rhinos lose the contest, they will exit CCL 2023 but should they upset Akhil Akkineni's team, the Telugu Warriors could hope their impressive NRR helps them sail through anyway.

The Kerala Strikers will play their final 'nothing to lose' game on March 11th against Bhojpuri Dabanggs.

So, with two teams stuck at 4 points (Telugu Warriors and Mumbai Heroes) and two others at 2 points (Chennai Rhinos and Punjab De Sher), the net run rate will come into play quite effectively to choose the final four semi-finalists. Both semis will be played on March 18th and the grand finale on March 19th with Hyderabad playing host for both occasions.