SRH to finish below RR in 16-point tie despite better NRR: IPL's Tie-breaker rule explained

On Thursday, May 16, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs after their match against Gujarat Titans (GT) was washed out. The shared point from the washout confirmed SRH’s playoff qualification but also limited their potential to finish in the top two of the points table, significantly impacting their strategic outlook for the remainder of the tournament.

Currently, SRH can only accumulate a maximum of 17 points. To finish in the top two, they must beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) while hoping Rajasthan Royals (RR) either lose to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) or have their match washed out. A third scenario involves SRH’s game against PBKS ending in a washout, coupled with an RR defeat to KKR. This would leave both SRH and RR with 16 points, raising questions about which team would secure the second spot given SRH's superior Net Run Rate (NRR).

Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table 

Interesting tie-break rule could come to RR's aid

However, IPL’s tie-breaker rules introduce a twist to this scenario. Despite having a better NRR, SRH would not automatically finish above RR in a 16-point tie. According to clause 16.10.2 of the IPL rulebook, when teams are tied on points, the first criterion for ranking is the number of wins each team has secured. In this case, RR, with eight wins, would surpass SRH, which would have only seven wins. This crucial detail emphasises that the number of wins takes precedence over NRR in determining rankings in tied points situations.

Here's what the IPL Rulebook says about tie-break: 

16.10.2 Where teams have an equal number of points their relative positions shall be determined by the following:

16.10.2.1 The team with the most wins in matches in the League during the season will be placed in the higher position;

16.10.2.2 If there are teams with equal points and equal wins during the season, then in such case the team with the higher net run rate (as calculated in clause 16.12 below) will be placed in the higher position.

Also Check: IPL 2024: RCB vs CSK Weather Report - What will happen if Match 68 is washed out?

Not the first time IPL rule book pages have been flipped

This rule is not just theoretical; it has historical precedent. A similar situation occurred in IPL 2015, where Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Rajasthan Royals all ended the league stage with 16 points. Despite MI having the lowest NRR among the three, they finished second because they had more wins, underscoring the importance of the win count in the tie-breaking hierarchy.