The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) received another big boost in their hunt for a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs after Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday. The victory ensured that LSG would not be able to surpass RCB in the points table even if they win their final league match of the campaign. DC’s inferior Net Run Rate also makes their task of securing a top 4 spot practically impossible. For RCB, the only team that remains in their way of a spot in the playoffs is Chennai Super Kings.
The Bengaluru franchise, at present, is placed 6th in the points table with 6 wins (12 points) in 13 matches and a Net Run Rate of +0.387. Delhi Capitals, placed 5th, have 14 points in 14 matches with an NRR of -0.377.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are 4th, with two games yet to play in the league campaign, at 14 points and an NRR of +0.406. CSK occupy third spot with 14 points in 13 matches, and an NRR of +0.528.
How RCB Can Qualify For IPL 2024 Playoffs:
Base Condition: The match against Chennai Super Kings is a must-win for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. If they don’t win that contest, there’s no way Faf du Plessis‘ men can secure a top 4 spot. If RCB do beat CSK, they will either dislodge Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s team in the playoffs or Pat Cummins‘ SRH.
Scenario 1: RCB beat CSK but their Net Run Rate remains inferior. In such a scenario, RCB would need SRH to lose both of their remaining league matches. SRH are scheduled to take on the Gujarat Titans next before their match against Punjab Kings. If SRH lose both matches, they will remain on 14 points. A victory for RCB against CSK would take their tally to 14 points too. In such a case, RCB only need to ensure that their NRR is better than SRH’s. In such a case, both RCB and CSK will qualify for top 4.
Scenario 2: If SRH win even one of their next two matches, they will qualify for the playoffs. Such a scenario would mean RCB can only topple CSK in the top 4 race. If SRH are already through, RCB would roughly need to beat CSK by 18 runs, if they bat first and put 200 on the board. If RCB are bowling first and are given a target of 201 runs, they would need to chase it down with roughly 11 balls to spare.
