The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) revived their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign with a commanding triumph over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday. Playing at the picturesque HPCA Stadium, RCB put on a stellar performance, securing a resounding 60-run victory. This win marked RCB’s fourth consecutive triumph in the tournament, igniting hopes among their fans for a playoff berth.

Playoffs qualification scenarios for RCB

There are two favorable scenarios for RCB to secure a playoff spot. However, they won’t be unable to finish in the top two positions, as their maximum potential points tally can only reach to 14. As of May 10, both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have already accumulated 16 points each.

Scenario 1: Finish at the Third Spot

Securing the third spot requires the Challengers to not only win their remaining matches but also depend on other factors aligning in their favor. Let’s have a look at the series of dependencies for RCB to acquire the 3rd position:

Sunrisers Hyderabad must lose all their remaining fixtures against Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings.
Chennai Super Kings must suffer defeats in their upcoming matches against Gujarat, Rajasthan, and RCB.
Delhi Capitals need to lose to RCB and Lucknow Super Giants.
Lucknow Super Giants should beat Delhi but lose to Mumbai Indians.

If these outcomes align favorably for RCB, they stand a chance to clinch the third position in the standings, with LSG likely to finish fourth. Even if DC defeat Lucknow, RCB can secure the third spot unless Delhi possesses a superior Net Run Rate (NRR) compared to RCB.

Also READ: Twitter reactions – Virat Kohli’s dazzling knock helps RCB pip PBKS and keep playoffs hopes alive | IPL 2024

Scenario 2: Finish at the Fourth Position

For RCB to secure the fourth playoff spot, they need to encounter a sequence of conditions that need to be met:

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings must lose all their remaining matches.
If both teams accumulate at least 16 points, RCB’s chances diminish.
However, if one team finishes with 16 or 18 points and the other with 14, RCB’s playoff aspirations remain alive.
In such a scenario, RCB would be part of a three-way tie at 14 points.

The key determinant in this scenario would be RCB’s NRR, which should surpass that of Chennai Super Kings/Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants/Delhi Capitals. RCB will be rooting for Lucknow to triumph over Delhi Capitals on May 14, as Lucknow possesses an inferior NRR.

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