5 times a team narrowly missed out on a playoff spot in the IPL due to net run-rate ft. CSK

The race for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) scripted a fabled comeback to pip the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the fourth and final spot. At the end of the clash in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 18, there were four teams level on 14 points on the points table, but RCB secured passage due to their superior net run rate.

The business end of the league stage is always an enthralling time for fans and pundits alike. Franchises, who are still in contention during this phase are all left hoping to win their remaining matches and for the other fixtures to go their way as well. Another layer to the already riveting scheme of things is the net run-rate.

Captains have placed so much importance on the net run rate in the past. Trying to maximize the margin of victory while winning and to reduce the margin while losing has become a unanimous priority for all sides. Even in the past, net run-rate has proven to be the differentiator for several things, whether it comes to the second and the third spot, as well as the fourth and the fifth spot.

On that note, let us take a look at five times a team narrowly missed out on a playoff spot in the IPL due to net run-rate.

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#1 Chennai Super Kings - IPL 2024

CSK had a marginal superior net run-rate when compared to RCB ahead of their showdown in Bengaluru. The conditions were outlined prior to the match itself, and with CSK choosing to chase, they needed to avoid losing by a margin above 18 runs.

The Men in Yellow looked like strong favorites after their start with the ball and how the spinners managed to come into play as well. However, some poor bowling and fielding in the latter half of the innings coupled with some brute hitting by RCB batters pushed them well over the 200-run mark, which is the last thing CSK would have wanted.

In the end, despite a spirited effort by the visitors, they fell short of the score, and missed out on the playoffs for only the third time in the compeition's history. The final net run rate of the qualified RCB and the fifth-placed CSK read +0.459 and +0.392, respectively.

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#2 Rajasthan Royals - IPL 2014

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) were pitted against the Mumbai Indians (MI) who were looking to sneak into the playoffs in their typical last-gasp manner. Although MI had the entire Wankhede Stadium behind them, they were left with overturning a massive net run-rate difference.

After RR posted 189 runs on the board, MI were left down to chase the target off just 14.3 overs. The Rohit Sharma-led side were up for the Herculean task, putting on 71 runs in the powerplay, but were hurt by wickets falling at regular intervals.

Corey Anderson scored a blistering 95, while cameos from Ambati Rayudu and Aditya Tare helped MI chase down the score, even when the initial condition was not met. After Rayudu was run out when MI needed two runs to qualify off one ball, it all seemed over.

However, there was a provision for MI to overtake the net run-rate, if they managed to score a boundary off the very last ball. Aditya Tare came out and dispatched James Faulkner for a six to overturn the deficit and help MI qualify. Following the contest, the net run rate of MI and RR read +0.095 and +0.060, respectively.

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#3 Kolkata Knight Riders - IPL 2020

KKR found themselves in a proper muddle after a dismal second half of the 2020 season, where they won only three matches. As a result of his poor form, they could only finish with 14 points, and were reliant on the margins of other matches to hope for playoffs qualification.

KKR managed to defeat RR by 61 runs in their final league stage match contest to improve their net run rate of -0.214. KKR either had to rely on a SRH loss in the final league stage game or the margin of victory was huge in the DC vs RCB game, scheduled to take place the next day.

However, both those conditions were not fulfilled, leading to KKR settling for a fifth place finish because of net run-rate. SRH ended up defeating MI by 10 wickets, while DC beat RCB by six wickets, but with only a over to spare. Since the latter result did not affect RCB's net run-rate significantly, they progressed through as the fourth-ranked team.

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#4 Mumbai Indians - IPL 2021

Aiming for a three-peat, the Mumbai Indians (MI) had a mediocre 2021 edition, and they were fazed with a huge task ahead of their final league match. They had to defeat the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 171 runs to overcome the fourth-placed KKR's net run rate of +0.587.

MI would have been knocked out after the toss itself if they had to chase. However, MI put up a fight after opting to bat, scoring a mammoth 235 in the first innings, with Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav recording fifties. MI needed to bowl out SRH under 65 runs to qualify, but they were unable to do so. Although MI ended their season with a win by 42 runs, their net run rate proved to be their downfall.

At the end of the league stage, KKR had a superior net run rate of +0.587 compared to MI's +0.116.

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#5 Royal Challengers Bengaluru - IPL 2012

In the 2012 edition, RCB had their fate in their hands as they needed to defeat the Deccan Chargers to qualify for the playoffs as they were level with CSK on points with a game to spare.

RCB ended up losing a low-scoring thriller by nine runs after failing to chase down a 133-run target. The defeat kept RCB and CSK level on points after the league stage, but CSK's superior net run-rate of +0.100 when compared to RCB's -0.022 helped them qualify for the playoffs.