Scenarios: Royal Challengers Bangalore take a huge step towards playoffs
RCB step towards to playoffs: Discover the key players and moments that helped RCB secure their spot in the playoffs and what this means for their chances of winning the championship.
The victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad by Royal Challengers Bangalore puts them one step closer to qualifying and puts their fate nearly entirely in their own hands. If they defeat Gujarat Titans in their final home game, they will almost surely advance.
Mumbai Indians can reach 16, along with Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Lucknow Super Giants, but thanks to RCB’s net run rate of 0.180, they have a comfortable lead over them (-0.128). Mumbai Indians will need to defeat Sunrisers at the Wankhede Stadium by almost 79 runs in order to surpass NRR, even if they win their most recent game by just one run. RCB will be fully prepared when they enter the field because they are playing Gujarat Titans at home in the last league game.
But if RCB loses, Mumbai must also lose, and they must also pray that none of the other teams on 14 surpass them in NRR. In order to overtake Punjab Kings (assuming first-inning totals of 180), Rajasthan Royals (0.140) just need to defeat them by ten runs (even if RCB lose by just one run).
In order for Kolkata Knight Riders (-0.256) and Punjab Kings (-0.308) to succeed, they will need considerably more help from RCB: Even if RCB lose by 30 runs, KKR will still need to triumph by 78 runs in order to surpass Kings in NRR; for RCB, that gap is roughly 94 runs.
Thus, if RCB lose their last game, they could still qualify if Mumbai and Royals lose their last matches too. Royals, on the other hand, will have a good chance of qualifying if they beat Kings, and Mumbai and RCB lose their last matches and stay on 14 points. For Kings and KKR, though, qualification chances look extremely bleak.
RCB’s win is also bad news for Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, as neither of them is assured of qualification; had RCB lost, both would have qualified. If Mumbai and RCB both win their last game and get to 16, then both Super Kings and Super Giants will need a win to assure themselves of a top-four finish, as a loss will keep them on 15 points.
