IPL 2021 RCB vs PBKS Playoff Qualification Scenario: Virat Kohli's Bangalore one win away from playoffs
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be aiming to book a berth in the playoffs with a win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday. The Virat Kohli-led RCB are currently third in the league table, while KL Rahul's side is caught in the mid-table with KKR, MI and RR -- incidentally, all four teams are on 10 points, having played the same number of matches.
Points Table
| Position | Teams | M | W | L | Points | NRR | Qualified | Last 3 Matches |
| 1 | Chennai Super Kings | 12 | 9 | 3 | 18 | +0.829 | Q | W W W |
| 2 | Delhi Capitals | 12 | 9 | 3 | 18 | +0.551 | Q | L W W |
| 3 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 11 | 7 | 4 | 14 | -0.200 | - | W W L |
| 4 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | +0.302 | - | L W L |
| 5 | Punjab Kings | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.236 | - | W L W |
| 6 | Rajasthan Royals | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.337 | - | W L L |
| 7 | Mumbai Indians | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.453 | - | L L L |
| 8 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 11 | 2 | 9 | 4 | -0.490 | - | L W L |
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playoff Qualification Scenario
With 14 points in 11 games, RCB only need one win to secure a place in the playoffs. If Virat Kohli's side loses against the Punjab Kings, they will have two more opportunities to seal a playoff berth against Sunrisers Hyderabad (October 6) and Delhi Capitals (October 8).
However, if RCB lose all of their remaining three games, their fate would be decided through Net Run Rate (NRR).
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Punjab Kings Playoff Qualification Scenario
KL Rahul's men will be aiming to maintain the pressure on the Kolkata Knight Riders (5th), as well as Rajasthan Royals (6th) and Mumbai Indians (7th), who are all fighting for a playoff berth.
A win against RCB will take Punjab Kings to fourth place. The PBKS would then hope for SRH to pull off an upset against the Knight Riders in the second game later today, which would allow them to retain the fourth position. If PBKS also win their last game of the season against Chennai Super Kings, they are likely to qualify due to superior NRR.
However, a loss could make the road to qualification tricky for Rahul and his men. PBKS would then require KKR, MI and RR to drop points to stay in contention.
