Sudurpaschim Royals have already booked their spot in the first qualifier. Now it comes down to Kathmandu Gorkhas and Biratnagar Kings for the second spot. The Gorkhas have made a spectacular comeback to climb to second place in the points table on the back of four consecutive wins. They missed out on the play-offs last season by a whisker after falling behind Karnali Yaks on net run rate. This time, they secured their play-off berth after beating Pokhara Avengers in their final league match. However, they are not yet guaranteed a place in the first qualifier, as Biratnagar Kings still have a match against Sudurpaschim tomorrow.
Biratnagar Kings started the tournament with three consecutive wins, but in their next three matches, they managed only one victory. Now, they not only have to beat the unbeaten Sudurpaschim Royals, but they must do so by a big margin to finish ahead of Kathmandu Gorkhas. The Kings currently sit third with eight points from six matches. Former South African captain Faf du Plessis joined them in the last match, which they lost by 5 wickets against the Lions. They will also be hoping that Martin Guptill—who has missed the last three matches—returns to bolster their batting line-up as the Kings push for a big win.
While the exact scenario will only be clear once a target is set, here is a possible scenario based on recent matches played at the TU ground. Assume Biratnagar Kings post 150 tomorrow in the first game.
If Biratnagar Kings post 150 while batting first, they need to win by at least 52 runs to move above the Gorkhas in the points table. It’s pretty much the same requirement for slightly higher or lower totals when batting first.
Similarly, if they bowl first, the scenario is slightly different.
Suppose they restrict the Royals to 150; then they would need to chase the target in 13.5 overs. However, they could take a couple of extra deliveries if they finish the chase with a boundary—meaning they can still qualify if they win in 14.1 or 14.2 overs, depending on whether the winning shot is a four or a six.
The scenario changes with different totals:
-
If they are chasing 121, they need to finish in 13.4 overs.
-
If they are chasing 131, they need to finish in 13.4 overs.
-
If they are chasing 141, they need to finish in 13.4 overs.
-
If they are chasing 151, they need to finish in 13.5 overs.
-
If they are chasing 161, they need to finish in 13.5 overs.
-
If they are chasing 171, they need to finish in 13.5 overs.
All in all, they need either to win by 52+ runs or to chase the target in under 14 overs.