IPL 2022: Here's how Punjab Kings can qualify for the playoffs

The IPL 2022 is nearing its end, and in just 13 days from now, we will get to know about the teams that will qualify for the playoffs. The competition has been neck-to-neck, and after 56 successful games, not a single team has officially qualified for the playoffs. While there has been a tough fight between a few teams that look to make it into the top four, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are just a win away from the qualification.

Punjab Kings is one of those teams struggling in the tournament to gain some big points and take a leap forward on the leaderboard. Of the 14 previous seasons, they’ve managed to enter the playoffs stage only twice and their woes continue even this year. PBKS have played 11 games so far, and have bagged only five victories, losing the remaining six. As a result, they’re placed in the bottom half of the points table at the eighth position.

Though their chances to make it into the final four are not high, there still is a slightest of possibility. They have three more contests scheduled in the league stage against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Interestingly, all these three teams are also in the playoffs race.

PBKS also has another weak link in the form of its negative net run rate. Even after tying with other teams in the points table at the end, they will need to improve their NRR by winning the games by a huge margin.

IPL 2022 Points Table after 56 matches:

Let’s see how PBKS can qualify for IPL 2022 playoffs:

Condition 1: PBKS wins all the remaining three fixtures scheduled against RCB, SRH, and DC by a huge margin in order to improve their net run rate apart from getting six points.

Condition 2: With other teams giving a tough fight, PBKS would hope Rajasthan Royals or RCB to not win more than one match in their remaining fixtures. DC and SRH are also in the hunt to make it to the playoffs. However, DC’s remaining three fixtures are against RR, PBKS and MI while SRH will be facing KKR, MI and PBKS in their last three matches. So, once PBKS wins their remaining three matches, DC and SRH will automatically get knocked out of the tournament.

The below table depicts favourable results for PBKS to even finish at the third position. If RR and RCB fail to win even one of their remaining fixtures and PBKS wins all their remaining matches, they will end up at the third place. However, even if that doesn’t happen, PBKS will finish at fourth provided they win their all matches and either of RCB or RR get stuck at 16 points. The fourth place will then be decided via net run-rate.