On Friday, May 19, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the last league-stage match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. The game is a must-win for Sanju Samson and company to keep their postseason hopes alive.
The defending champions, Gujarat Titans (GT), lead the points table after 65 league games, with 18 points from 13 games. They are the only team that has already qualified for the playoffs.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been eliminated from the competition, with only 10 and eight points from 13 matches, respectively.
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The Rajasthan Royals are one of seven clubs left vying for a berth in the top four.
However, their chances were harmed by a 112-run thrashing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their previous match at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. RR were bowled out for 59 in 10.3 overs while chasing 172.
RR’s IPL 2023 qualification
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The Rajasthan Royals are currently sixth in the IPL 2023 points table. They have won six and lost seven of their 13 games and have a net run rate of +0.140. However, a win over the Punjab Kings will not be enough to place them in the top four and qualify for the playoffs.
RR must defeat PBKS by a large margin and then hope that RCB and Mumbai Indians (MI) both lose by large percentages in their final matches and end below Rajasthan’s net run rate. Bangalore and Mumbai are now tied on 14 points. RCB has a net run rate of +0.180, while MI has a run rate of -0.128.
On Sunday, May 21, Bangalore will play the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. On the same day, Mumbai will face SRH in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in the first match of a double-header.
If both MI and RCB win their last league games, they would have reached 16 points, which means Rajasthan will be eliminated.
If the Rajasthan Royals win their last league game and both the MI and RCB lose on Sunday, all three clubs will finish with 14 points. If Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their last league game, they will also finish with 14 points. They do, however, have an extremely low net run rate of -0.256.
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