IPL 2024 Playoff scenarios: Why SRH will finish below RR in spite of better net run rate if both are tied on points

The last two matches of the league stage in IPL 2024 will be held on Sunday, May 19. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the day match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, while Rajasthan Royals face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati in the second match of a double-header.

Interestingly, while PBKS have been knocked out of the tournament, RR, SRH and KKR have qualified for the playoffs. In fact, while Kolkata are assured of finishing on top of the points table, Hyderabad or Rajasthan could take the second spot, depending on Sunday's result.

It's usually believed that net run rate decides who finishes higher on the IPL points table. However, there's an intriguing scenario in which SRH (+0.406) could finish below RR (+0.273) on the points table despite having a superior net run rate in case the two teams are tied on points.

Assuming the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is washed out due to rain, the two sides will get one point each. SRH would finish the league stage with 16 points. Rajasthan Royals would also stay on 16 points if they go down to Kolkata Knight Riders in the last league match of IPL 2024 in Guwahati.

While Hyderabad have a better run rate than Rajasthan, the latter would finish second in the points table in case of a tie. That's because the number of wins in the league stage is considered as the first criterion to decide the ranking of teams in the IPL. If the sides are tied there as well, net run rate comes into play.

The IPL 2024 match playing conditions in case of a tie are explained below.

16.10.2 Where teams have an equal number of points their relative positions shall be determined by the following:

16.10.2.1 The team with the most wins in matches in the League during the season will be placed in the higher position;

16.10.2.2 If there are teams with equal points and equal wins during the season, then in such case the team with the higher net run rate (as calculated in clause 16.12 below) will be placed in the higher position.

Going by the above rule, RR will finish the league stage with eight wins and SRH with seven and hence finish second in the IPL 2024 points table in the given scenario.

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Why finishing second in the IPL 2024 points table will make a huge difference for RR and SRH?

The team finishing second in the IPL 2024 points table will feature in Qualifier 1, taking on top-placed Kolkata Knight Riders. While the winner of the contest directly makes it to the final, the loser gets a second chance to push for a place in the summit clash in Qualifier 2.

The case is different with the teams placed third and fourth. They will take on each other in an Eliminator.

While the loser will be knocked out, the winner of this match will have to face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2. The winner of Qualifier 2 will take on the winner of Qualifier 1 in the IPL 2024 final.