New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore has not had the season they would have thought of. With five consecutive losses in five games, RCB is currently at the bottom of the table, but the Smriti Mandhana-led team still has a chance to make it to the knockouts. With five in five wins Mumbai Indians and with four wins, Delhi Capitals are likely to go ahead, while RCB will have to battle it out with UPW and GG.
How can RCB still qualify for knockouts?
As MI and DC have ten and eight points respectively and RCB can only reach six points, so, RCB can only beat Uttar Pradesh Warriorz and Gujarat Giants in the race, who are currently at four and two points respectively.
If RCB wins all three of their remaining games and UPW loses all of their games, RCB will end ahead of them. Meanwhile, Gujarat Giants will also finish on four points if they lose two games, except the one against UPW. But, if all three teams finish at six points each, the matter will be decided by Net Run Rate (NRR), and RCB currently has a better NRR than GG.
Such a case seems practically impossible but Mumbai Indians have done it after losing the first five games in the 2014 IPL and Sydney Sixers reached the finals of the 2015-16 WBBL after they lost their first six games.
RCB vs UPW
RCB will face UPW on March 15 at the DY Patil Stadium. The last time the teams faced each other, RCB lost the game despite Ellyse Perry’s cracking half-century. Sophie Devine and Perry’s efforts could muster only 138 on the board as Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma destroyed the batting line-up. Alyssa Healy with her 96* off 47 led a comfortable chase.
Smriti Mandhana needs to stand up and score, to lead the team from the front. RCB will also need their ace bowlers Megan Schutt and Renuka Thakur to pick wickets as they have been out of touch in the tournament so far.