Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a crucial IPL 2024 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. RCB needs a big win to secure a spot in the top four for the playoffs. After losing seven of their first eight games, RCB has made a strong comeback, winning their last five matches. They are currently two points behind CSK and have a slightly worse Net Run Rate.
However, there is a threat of rain for this important match, with local authorities issuing a ‘Yellow Alert’ for bad weather in Bengaluru. While there was little rain on Thursday and mostly cloudy weather on Friday, a full 20-overs-a-side match on Saturday seems unlikely. According to Accuweather, there is an 87% chance of rain with thunderstorms expected in the evening. The temperature will range between 22-30 degrees Celsius.
If the match is washed out, both teams will get one point each, giving CSK 15 points and RCB 13 points. This would allow the defending champions, CSK, to qualify for the playoffs. Currently, CSK is fourth on the points table with 14 points from 13 matches, while RCB is seventh with 12 points from 13 matches. CSK also has a better net run rate of 0.528 compared to RCB’s 0.387.
For RCB to replace CSK in the top four, they need to win by at least 18 runs if they score 200 runs batting first, or win in 18.1 overs if they are chasing 200 runs.
In their previous encounter in the opening match of IPL 2024, CSK defeated RCB by six wickets.