The 112 run win over Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur was a major breakthrough for Royal Challengers Bangalore and it is that victory that has still kept them alive in the battle for playoffs in IPL 2023. However, LSG’s win in last night’s match against Mumbai Indians made things a bit complicated.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have 12 points in 12 matches. Compared to this, CSK, LSG, MI and PBKS have 15, 15,14 and 12 points respectively. However, they have all played a match more than RCB apart from PBKS.
For RCB to qualify for the playoffs now, they not only have to win their remaining two matches but they will also have to depend on the result of MI, CSK, LSG and PBKS’s matches. For example, if CSK, MI and LSG lose two of their remaining matches, RCB have the chance of ending as the second placed team on the table.
All considerations in this article will be done with the base estimation that RCB win both of their remaining matches as otherwise they have no chance to begin with. If CSK win their two remaining matches, RCB will not have any chance whatsoever to finish Top 2.
In that case, their fight is up against LSG and MI directly. If LSG and MI both lose both of their remaining matches then RCB qualifies with ease. If MI loses even one of their remaining matches, then too RCB qualifies, providing they maintain a better NRR than PBKS (If they win both their remaining matches as well).
The same goes for Lucknow Super Giants. Thus RCB needs either LSG or MI to lose atleast one of their remaining matches whilst also maintaining a better NRR than PBKS. However, beating GT and SRH in their upcoming two matches will not be an easy task to begin with.