Despite a smashing win against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Rajasthan Royals are currently sixth in the league standings with 12 points. However, their chances of entering the playoffs were crushed by a humbling defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore, in which they were beaten for 59 runs, the third-lowest total in IPL history. With only one game remaining in the league round against the Punjab Kings on May 19, they must win in order to accumulate 14 points and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Three clubs presently share 12 points; however, PBKS and RCB have two games left, while RR has only one. RR would need both PBKS and RCB to lose their next two games in order to leapfrog PBKS with a win. They’d also like to see the Kolkata Knight Riders lose or draw one of their next two games, giving them a one-point lead.
The Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, on the other hand, have 14 and 13 points, respectively, with one game remaining. The two teams will compete on May 16, with the winner rising to third place, making it tough for teams below them to qualify. In that case, RR wishes that whoever wins the game also loses their previous game, and that whoever loses the game also loses their subsequent game. The final game for MI will be against Sunrisers Hyderabad, while the final game for LSG will be against KKR.
RR also has a net run rate of +0.140, which means that if they win comfortably against PBKS in their next game, they will have an advantage if multiple teams are tied at 14 points at the end of the league stage.
Overall, the Rajasthan Royals’ chances of making the playoffs depend on the outcome of the remaining games. They must not only win their last match, but they must also have good records in previous matchups against the teams above them. It will be interesting to see whether they can turn things around and make the playoffs.
