EXPLAINED: How RCB can still be eliminated from IPL 2025 despite topping charts with 17 points following washout against KKR?

After a long week-long break, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumed with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clash at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. A victory against Kolkata Knight Riders would have been sufficient to guarantee RCB's qualification for the playoffs. However, in a familiar tale for the Bengaluru-based franchise, their home ground became an unexpected impediment. Persistent rainfall led to the abandonment of the crucial match against KKR, forcing both teams to settle for a single point each which ended KKR's campaign.

While this solitary point propelled RCB to top of the IPL 2025 table, their playoff berth is not yet assured. Despite leading the league after 12 games, the unique dynamics of this particular season mean that RCB could still potentially be denied a spot in the knockout stage. Currently sitting on 17 points, a total that would typically be enough for qualification in most other years, RCB still require one more point to fully confirm their place in the playoffs of this unprecedented IPL season.

Here's the scenario which can impede RCB's playoff path:

• RCB lose their remaining two games 
• MI beat DC and PBKS 
• PBKS lose to MI and DC but beat RR
• DC lose to MI but beat GT and PBKS 
• GT lose to DC but win one of the other two games (vs LSG & CSK) 

In a scenario where Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) secure the top two positions in the league standings, a three-way tie at 17 points could emerge involving Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In such a situation, the Net Run Rate (NRR) would become the decisive factor in determining which teams advance to the playoffs. While RCB currently holds a slightly superior NRR compared to both DC and PBKS, the margins are narrow, suggesting that the final playoff spots could be determined by тонкие differences in NRR.

However, there is a silver lining for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Even if their final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), scheduled for May 23 in Bengaluru, is affected by rain and results in a washout, the single point earned from the abandoned KKR match would be sufficient to secure their qualification for the playoffs.