IPL 2024 playoffs: How can Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualify despite 7 losses?

The Indian Premier League 2024 season has reached its halfway mark, with several teams finding their winning formula. Unfortunately, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are not among them, struggling with just one victory from seven matches so far. RCB's recent loss came against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 15, where they conceded a staggering 287 runs – the highest total ever in franchise T20 cricket. Despite their efforts, the Faf du Plessis-led RCB managed 262 in reply, marking the first instance in IPL history of a team scoring above 250 while chasing.

RCB's only win this season was against Punjab Kings at home, securing victory by four wickets. However, since then, the Bengaluru-based franchise has faced defeat in five consecutive matches, firmly rooted at the bottom of the points table with only two points and a significantly negative Net Run Rate of -1.185.

Despite their challenging situation, RCB still holds a mathematical chance of qualifying for the IPL 2024 playoffs. According to their head coach, Andy Flower, every upcoming game must be treated as a knockout match. RCB must triumph in their remaining seven fixtures to reach the target of 16 points, which historically has been the minimum requirement for playoff qualification in IPL seasons with eight or more teams.

However, even achieving 16 points may not guarantee a playoff spot if they are tied with other teams on the points table, given their compromised Net Run Rate. To bolster their chances, RCB not only need to secure victories but also rely on other struggling teams like Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Mumbai Indians to suffer defeats.