On Saturday, May 18, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Chennai Super Kings in a match that is seen as a virtual knockout. The stakes will be high as the winner will probably advance to the playoffs of IPL 2024. The match will take place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru.

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RCB could bow out of playoff race without playing CSK

RCB were down and out at one stage in IPL 2024, and an elimination from the playoffs race looked inevitable. However, the team found the winning momentum, and from that it has drawn five wins in a row. RCB have gathered the qualification chances, and a win over their old rivals Chennai Super Kings could fetch them a place in the top 4. However, there is one factor which could finish RCB's campaign even before the start of the RCB vs CSK match.

The RCB vs CSK match is facing a rain threat. The weather forecast of Bengaluru, for May 18 suggests there is a probability of a thunderstorm. Hence, rain could hamper play, and in case of a washout, RCB's realistic chances of qualifying will turn nil. A rain abandonment will lead to the sharing of points. An addition of one point will showcase 15 points in RCB's bag, which will not be enough to push them through. 

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How RCB can qualify for the playoffs?

While only a scant chance is there, it is indeed a realistic one. For RCB to qualify, they would have to beat CSK by a margin of 18 runs or more, and if batting second, they will have to chase the total in 18.1 overs or before. A victory according to the mentioned cases would take Royal Challengers Bengaluru's net run-rate ahead of CSK's.  In case the win margin comes out to be less than 18 runs or they take more than 18.1 overs to chase the total then they would have to count on GT and PBKS to do them a favour. In the latter case, RCB would hope that SRH loses both its remaining matches against GT and PBKS and at the same time Mumbai Indians get the job done against LSG.