 "Chennai Super Kings will knock out Gujarat Titans from IPL 2024 if they win on Friday. AP")
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have scripted quite a turnaround in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) by winning their last four matches on a trot. After losing seven out of the first eight matches, RCB looked destined for an early exit from IPL 2024 but have bounced back in the playoffs race. In fact, their latest 60-run win over Punjab Kings resulted in elimination for PBKS . With Mumbai Indians also already out, only eight teams are now in the fight for the four playoff spots.
Let’s have a look at the points table before discussing the playoff scenarios for all the teams.
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | NRR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KKR | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | +1.453 | 16 |
| 2 | RR | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | +0.476 | 16 |
| 3 | SRH | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | +0.406 | 14 |
| 4 | CSK | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.700 | 12 |
| 5 | DC | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | -0.316 | 12 |
| 6 | LSG | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | -0.769 | 12 |
| 7 | RCB | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | +0.217 | 10 |
| 8 | MI | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | -0.212 | 8 |
| 9 | PBKS | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | -0.423 | 8 |
| 10 | GT | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | -1.320 | 8 |
IPL playoff scenarios: What RCB need?
Let’s start with Virat Kohli’s RCB. They are still in the reckoning but only by a small margin. With just two matches left, their point tally can only jump to 14 points but KKR and RR are already at 16 while SRH have 14 points. This means one more win for SRH and RCB won’t be able to get into the top three spots.
Bengaluru’s best chance is to get to 14 points, climb to the fourth slot, and hope that teams other than KKR, RR and SRH don’t cross the 14-point mark. For this to happen, CSK, DC and LSG should not win more than one match each from now on.
GT are also alive in the playoffs race but they can also only reach a maximum of 14 points.
If everything goes as per the conditions mentioned above, then the fourth spot team will be decided on the net run rate. And RCB have an NRR of +0.217.
What if RCB win just one more match?
It will be almost impossible to qualify with just 12 points as three teams already have more than that and four more teams – CSK, DC, LSG and GT – can go past that tally. Two wins are a must for RCB to have any chance of qualifying.
What about KKR and RR?
Kolkata and Rajasthan are the best-placed sides in the playoffs race and one more win should them to the playoffs. Their current tally of 16 points could can be enough but top-two positions could be lost.
Scenarios for GT and CSK
GT take on CSK on Friday in IPL 2024 and this is nothing but a must-win match for Gujarat Titans.
With just three matches left, GT can at best aim for 14 points. A defeat against Chennai Super Kings will leave them with a possible tally of 12 points and that would mean elimination.
CSK meanwhile will inch closer to playoffs with a victory against Shubman Gill’s side. CSK along with KKR, RR and SRH are the only four teams who can have 18 points. Chennai can also qualify with just one more win but then they will have to fight out an NRR battle.
The scenario is the same for SRH who can easily qualify with two wins from the remaining two matches. Even one defeat could be enough but other results will have to favour them.
For DC and LSG, doors can be shut if they lose even one of their remaining two matches.
MI and PBKS have already been eliminated.