IPL 2021: How can RCB overtake CSK to finish in the top 2?

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 56th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in Dubai on Friday. The match will be played at the same time (7:30 PM IST) as the one between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi.

Both RCB and DC have qualified for the playoffs. In fact, DC are assured to finish top of the points table even if they go down to RCB. Bangalore, meanwhile, squandered their chance of finishing in the top 2 of the IPL 2021 points table by going down to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their last encounter.

So, even though Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were stunned by Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their last league match, RCB will not be able to overtake Chennai even if they beat DC on Friday. CSK ended their league campaign with a net run rate of +0.455. RCB will go into the game against DC with a run rate of -0.159.

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To explain the scenario in simple terms, RCB will have to bat first, score around 200 and then beat DC by a margin of 163 runs to displace CSK from the second spot. If they bowl first, they stand no chance at all because they cannot go past CSK, even theoretically, in that case.

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Lost opportunity for RCB: Why finishing in top 2 matters so much

Any side in the IPL finishing in the top two spots after the league stage gets two shots for a place in the final. The top-two ranked sides face each other in the first qualifier, and the winner directly books a place in the final.

The third and fourth ranked teams face off in the Eliminator. The winner of this contest then takes on the loser of the first qualifier in a knockout. The winner of the second qualifier becomes the second finalist.

So, if RCB finish third, they will have to first win the Eliminator against the fourth-ranked side, which most probably will be Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The winner of the Eliminator will either face DC or CSK in second qualifier (assuming CSK finish at no. 2 in the points table).

Going into Friday’s clash, DC have 20 points from 13 games, and RCB 16 from as many matches.