Rajasthan Royals lost their fifth game in a row when they went down by 11 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday (April 24). Here’s how they can still qualify for the playoffs of the 2025 IPL.
Rajasthan Royals, who are yet to win a title since the 2008 edition, face a stiff task as they look to finish amongst the top four this season. With just four points from nine games, they are currently placed eighth, with an eight-point difference between them and the table toppers, Gujarat Titans.
While, realistically, they can be deemed as all but eliminated, they still can hope for the best by winning their last five games and then hoping a few results go their way.
Who will RR play next?
April 28: v Gujarat Titans (home)
May 1: v Mumbai Indians (home)
May 4: v Kolkata Knight Riders (away)
May 12: v Chennai Super Kings (away)
May 16: v Punjab Kings (home)
How can the Rajasthan Royals qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs?
With three teams on 12 points and three others on 10, Rajasthan will need to win all five remaining matches to get to the maximum of 14 points, but even that is unlikely to be enough. They would also hope that at least three other teams face a drastic loss in form and finish on 14 points or fewer.
Only winning games will not be enough either, for they will need to register big victories. Currently, their Net Run Rate of -0.625 is the third-worst among all 10 teams, and they would need a huge swing in fortunes to make the top four. It is mathematically possible at this point that even if they win their five remaining games, RR could end up tied with as many as five other sides for third and fourth place.
Read more: IPL 2025 qualification scenarios: How Sunrisers Hyderabad can still make the playoffs
If Rajasthan win four out of five and finish on 12 points, they would hope Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants (teams on 10 points currently) do not win more than one of their remaining games. These three sides will all play each other over the remaining fixtures, meaning this is not possible without a washout.
MI and LSG have five games left, while PBKS have six, which complicates matters further for Rajasthan. They will also need to keep their net run rate in mind.
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