IPL 2017: This Is How Royal Challengers Bangalore Can Make It To The Playoffs!
Apr 30, 2017 at 12:14 PM
The latest defeat at the hands of Rising Pune Supergiant, on Saturday (April 29), has dealt another body blow to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s hopes of making it to the playoffs. With just a couple of wins in the first ten matches of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League, the runners-up of last year are languishing at the seventh position of the table, just a solitary point ahead of Delhi Daredevils, who have played three fewer games than Virat Kohli’s men.
Here is the points table after the 35th match between Gujarat Lions and Mumbai Indians on Sunday (April 29):
TEAMS | Matches | Won | Loss | N/R | Points | Net RR |
Kolkata Knight Riders | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1.223 |
Mumbai Indians | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0.451 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 0.588 |
Rising Pune Supergiant | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 10 | -0.24 |
Gujarat Lions | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -0.318 |
Kings XI Punjab | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -0.448 |
Royal Challengers Bangalore | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 | -1.578 |
Delhi Daredevils | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0.514 |
The Royal Challengers’ season is hanging by a thread as making it to the playoffs round is looking like next to impossible. Their run rate of 7.35 and the average runs per wicket of 18.58, which is the lowest among all teams this season, have only made the matters tough for them. The Bangalore-based outfit is the only side to score at below seven in the powerplays this season and has lost 17 wickets in the first six overs, three more than second-placed – Kings XI Punjab.
But despite everything against them, the Royal Challengers are still in with a chance to make it to the next stage of the tournament. But for that, they will have to fire on all cylinders just like the previous season when they won six of their last seven games to make it to the playoffs and eventually final. The odds are against them and their destiny is certainly not in their hands but mathematically Virat Kohli’s men can make a miraculous qualification to the playoffs if the following scenarios take place:
- Royal Challengers Bangalore win all the remaining four games – against Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils.
- Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, who are currently leading the table with 14 points each, win their remaining games (except against Royal Challengers Bangalore).
- Third-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad win their remaining games against Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions.
- Rising Pune Supergiant manage just one win out of their remaining five matches.
- Kings XI Punjab and Gujarat Lions don’t win more than three of their remaining six games.
- Delhi Daredevils lose at least three out of their last seven matches.
Winning all their remaining games is definitely the best shot to make it to the next round for the Royal Challengers but even if they lose to either Mumbai Indians or Kolkata Knight Riders, they can seal a playoff berth if they defeat Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils and one among Mumbai Indians or Kolkata Knight Riders.
In such a scenario, the Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians will finish with 22 points each while the defending champions will finish with 17. Rising Pune Supergiant will end with 10 points in their kitty while two wins in six matches will see Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab finishing the season with 10 points each. Three wins in the remaining seven games will see the Daredevils finish this edition with 10 points. If all these aforementioned conditions take place, the Royal Challengers will end at 11 points, one point ahead of the Supergiant, Lions, Kings XI and the Daredevils.
And if Virat Kohli’s side manages to win all their remaining 4 games, they will end with 13 points and will make it to the next round provided all the other results go their way.