Published: May 14, 2023, 02:23 PM (IST)
Edited: May 14, 2023, 02:36 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Rajasthan Royals in a crucial game of the Indian Premier League on Sunday. RCB are tottering in the second half of the points table with 10 points in 11 matches. With Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings almost sealing playoff berths, RCB, RR, PBKS, LSG and MI will fight for the final two slots. The upcoming few matches will determine which teams qualify for the playoffs.
For RCB to qualify, they need to win all their remaining three games against Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad by big margins. RCB currently have a run rate of -0.345, well below the other teams in contention so the run rate needs to go up for RCB to stand a chance. Wins alone won’t help RCB reach the playoffs and they will need some other results to go their way. For RCB to have a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs, RCB will need Mumbai Indians or Kolkata Knight Riders to beat Lucknow Super Giants. They will also need Delhi Capitals or Rajasthan Royals to beat Punjab Kings.
The above scenarios will ensure that neither of Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab King reach 16 points and if RCB can win all their remaining games, they will have 16 points in the kitty and will move through the playoffs.
If RCB loses to RR and win their remaining two matches, they will reach 14 points. It will be very difficult for them to reach the playoffs with just 14 points, however, they will still have hope. For them to qualify after losing to Rajasthan Royals, they will have to expect that Rajasthan Royals lose their final game and Punjab Kings lose at least one of their remaining two games. RCB will also need LSG to lose both of their remaining games. This will leave RCB, RR and PBKS with 14 points and the top two teams with 14 points will qualify. KKR could also come in contention if they win all their remaining games and then it will be a four-team battle for the final two spots in the points table.
For RCB, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis have been the lone warriors with the bat. Faf is the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 576 runs while Kohli is second for RCB with 420 runs. Rajasthan Royals have one of the most balanced attacks in the tournament and the onus of scoring most of RCB’s runs will have to be taken by Faf and Kohli. It will be very difficult for RCB to win if both of them fail to perform well.
