Theoretically, as many as seven teams are still in contention for the IPL 2023 playoffs. Royal Challengers Bangalore are one of them and their qualification path will get a lot easier should they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad tonight.
Out of the seven contenders, only four teams can go as high as 16 points including RCB who will also have to ensure their net run rate is better than that of Mumbai Indians should the five time champions win their final game as well.
However, in case RCB lose tonight, they will still be alive but then will have to win their final league match and pray other results go their way.
RCB are a team that has blown hot and cold so far. Their batting has been overly reliant on captain Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell with an inconsistent middle order hampering them time and again.
With the race getting tighter, RCB will hope their batting line-up fires in unison not just tonight but for the remainder of the season as they continue search for a maiden IPL title.
Former Australia international and SRH head coach Tom Moody expects Kohli to step up and ‘do everything in his potential’ to take RCB into the playoffs.
“RCB’s form has tapered off through the halfway stage, they started well but lost steam in the second phase. So they need to pull up their socks and go full throttle in the remaining games. They have a player like Virat Kohli, who will do everything in his potential to help RCB stay in the playoffs race," Moody said on Star Sports’ Cricket Live.
Former India allrounder Yusuf Pathan said aside from the big-three of RCB batting, others will have to contribute now and they must play as a unit.
“RCB will have to play as a team. Now is not the time that RCB should focus on just three players (Kohli, Maxwell and Faf). Now every player will have to come forward and fulfil his responsibility," Pathan said.