If RCB wins today will it qualify: Can RCB qualify for playoffs 2022?

If RCB wins today will it qualify: Royal Challengers Bangalore have ended Indian Premier League 2022 league phase with a victory.

During the 67th match of the ongoing 15th season of the Indian Premier League between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium, Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Titans by 8 wickets to keep their playoffs hopes alive.

In addition to a victory on Thursday, RCB and their fans would also be relieved by a match-winning knock played for former captain Virat Kohli. Having badly struggled for form for a large part of IPL 2022, Kohli contributed with a match-winning 73 (54) comprising of eight fours and two sixes.

Opening the batting with captain Faf du Plessis (44) in a 169-run chase, Kohli played the titular role in a 115-run opening partnership. The 33-year old player registered his 78th T20 half-century, 44th in the IPL, fifth at this venue and second against this opposition.

If RCB wins today will it qualify?

Royal Challengers, who had started this match as the fifth-ranked team on the points table, have now replaced Delhi Capitals at the fourth spot. In what was their last league match of the season, RCB have finished the league phase with 16 points from eight wins.

Having started their IPL 2022 campaign pretty well, Bangalore should have been in a better position than losing six out of their 14 league matches.

That said, a victory tonight has kept them alive in the race for the Top Four teams of the season but hasn’t guaranteed them a spot in the playoffs.

Royal Challengers’ next task is to hope for Mumbai Indians to beat Delhi in their last league match at the same venue. While the same will restrict Capitals to 14 points, it will propel RCB to the next round.

Assuming that DC beat MI even by the smallest of margins, they will qualify ahead of Bangalore because of their NRR (Net Run Rate). Currently, Bangalore (-0.253) have an inferior NRR as compared to Delhi (0.255).