IPL 2024 Playoff scenarios: The last two matches of the league stage in IPL 2024 will be held on Sunday, May 19. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the day’s match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, while Rajasthan Royals (RR) face Kolkata Knight Riders in the second match of the double header at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Riders (KKR).

Interestingly, while PBKS has been eliminated from the tournament, RR, SRH and KKR have all qualified for the playoffs. Along with this, it is expected that Kolkata Knight Riders can remain the table topper. Accordingly, now the discussion is on which team, Hyderabad or Rajasthan, will be in second place based on Sunday’s result.

It is generally believed that the net run rate decides who tops the IPL points table. However, an interesting scenario is one in which SRH (+0.406) could finish below RR (+0.273) in the points table despite having a better net run rate, if both the teams are tied on points.

IPL 2024 Playoff scenarios: Why SRH will remain below RR despite better run rate

If the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium today is washed out due to rain, both sides will get one point each. Thus SRH will finish the league stage with 16 points.

At the same time, if Rajasthan Royals loses to Kolkata Knight Riders in the last league match of IPL 2024 in Guwahati, then they will have only 16 points.

Hyderabad’s run rate is better than Rajasthan, but if it happens then Rajasthan will be second in the points table. This is because the number of wins in the league stage is considered the first criteria to decide the ranking of teams in the IPL. Here also if both the teams are on par, then the net run rate comes into play.

As per the rule, RR will finish the league stage with eight wins and SRH with seven wins and hence will finish second in the IPL 2024 points table in the given scenario.