On Thursday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru appeared to have rediscovered some optimism at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium following their victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad. When RCB defeated Punjab Kings at home in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2024, they ended a six-match losing streak. It was their first victory in precisely one month. It may seem unusual, but the win improved their chances of entering the playoffs without even considering net run rate. They still finished the regular season with just four points from nine games, meaning their standing in the standings was unaffected.
How is RCB going to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs?
First and foremost, RCB is unable to finish in the top two positions in the table. If they win all five of their remaining games, they would finish the league stage with a total of 14 points, which is likely enough to secure their spot in the playoffs even if net run rate isn’t taken into account. They will also likely finish in third or fourth place in the points table.
The top three teams, now the Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, must win the majority of their remaining games for RCB to finish fourth. RR and KKR will finish at 22, 20, and 20 points, respectively, if they can afford at least two losses and one for SRH. This suggests that, with 14 points as the fourth-place team, RCB can comfortably qualify for the playoffs.
Though it would be extremely unlikely, Kolkata and Hyderabad might possibly place third on the standings if they see an unusual decline in their play and win only one of their final games to end with 12 points. In addition, RCB can qualify for the playoffs as the third-place team with 14 points provided the Lucknow Super Giants can start strong and win five of their next six games to accrue 20 points.
Why does RCB’s ambition of qualifying for the IPL 2024 playoffs seem plausible?
After defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad, the team captained by Faf du Plessis will next play Gujarat Titans twice before hosting Punjab Kings. GT is currently struggling following an uneventful IPL 2024 campaign. Despite winning four of their first nine games, they are currently ranked seventh in the standings. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have been having trouble getting back into the swing of things after dropping six of their previous seven games, including a run of four straight.
RCB can gain momentum going into their final two matches, which will both be played at the Chinnaswamy, against the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, if they can manage three straight victories, one of which will be at home (against GT) and the other at Dharamsala, a batting haven (against PBKS).
