Royal Challengers Bengaluru seemed to have found a glimmer of hope on Thursday after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. It was their first win in exactly a month, having last won against Punjab Kings at home, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, as RCB snapped their six-match losing streak in IPL 2024. Although the win made no changes to their position in the points table, where they remain bottom of the table with just four points from nine games, it definitely increased their chances of making the playoffs, which as strange as it may sound, without even worrying about net run rate.

How can RCB make the IPL 2024 playoffs?

First and foremost, the top two spots in the table are out of the question for RCB. They are at least make the third or fourth position in the points table at the end of the league stage, given they win all their remaining five games, which will leave them with a total of 14 points, enough to probably guarantee their place in playoffs without net run rate playing a factor.

For RCB to finish fourth, they need the top three teams, currently Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, to win the maximum of their remaining matches. If RR and KKR can afford at least two losses and one for SRH, they will finish at 22, 20 and 20 points respectively. This implies that RCB can easily make the playoffs as the fourth-placed side with 14 points.

However, there is also a bleak possibility of finishing third on the table as well, which will require Kolkata and Hyderabad to incur a bizarre slump in form and win just one of their remaining matches to finish on 12 points. Simultaneously, if Lucknow Super Giants can hit the ground running with five wins in their remaining six matches thus amassing 20 points, RCB can make the playoffs as the third-placed side with 14 points.

Why RCB's IPL 2024 playoffs qualification hope do seem a possibility?

The Faf du Plessis-led side, who beat an in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad, will next face Gujarat Titans twice before taking in Punjab Kings. GT are currently under the pump after a rather inconsistent run in IPL 2024 so far, where they have claimed four wins in nine matches so far to stand seventh in the table. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings have been struggling to find their rhythm after losing six of their last seven matches, which include a four-game losing streak.

If RCB can manage an array of three straight wins, one of which will be at home (vs GT) and the other (vs PBKS) at Dharamsala, a batting paradise, they can build momentum in tackling tougher challenges in Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings in their final two matches, both of which will be held at the Chinnaswamy.

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