Ranji Trophy 2022/23: Quarterfinals qualification scenarios explained

Ranji Trophy 2022/23: Here are the qualification scenarios ahead of the last round of group fixtures.

Published : Jan 23, 2023 15:48 IST - 4 MINS READ

After a loss to Delhi, Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai faces Maharashtra in a must-win match.
After a loss to Delhi, Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai faces Maharashtra in a must-win match. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
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After a loss to Delhi, Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai faces Maharashtra in a must-win match. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The last round of group stage matches in Ranji Trophy 2022/23 will begin on Tuesday, and there are still knockout spots left to be filled.

After six rounds, Bengal, Saurashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are the only teams to have confirmed a berth in the last-eight stage. This leaves four places up for grabs.

The top two teams from groups make it to the quarterfinals. However, when two teams are tied on points, the tie-breakers are as follows:

The team with more bonus points will go through.

If the tie remains, the team with more wins will get precedence.

The next criterion is the head-to-head results. The team which won the match gets the advantage.

If the teams still cannot be separated, the one with higher quotient will qualify.

Here is a look at the qualification scenarios from the four elite groups:

Group A

Bengal sits in the first place and has confirmed its spot in the quarterfinals. The next two teams - Uttarakhand (26 points) and Himachal Pradesh (20 points) - will fight for the second spot. Himachal faces Uttar Pradesh while Uttarakhand takes on Haryana.

Uttarakhand has the advantage right now and needs a win or a first-innings lead to seal the spot.

For Himachal, a bonus point win is a must. Furthermore, it needs Uttarakhand to lose or get just one point off the match.

If Uttarakhand draws but manages one point and Himachal wins with a bonus point, the two teams will end level at 27 points each. Himachal goes through here, having accumulated more bonus points.

In case Uttarakhand loses and Himachal gets only six points against U.P., the former goes through via the head-to-head criterion. In this case, both teams will be level on points, bonus points, number of wins, and hence the fourth criterion comes into play.

Group B

Saurashtra scraped through to the knockouts despite a loss to Andhra in the last round. Since Maharashtra (25 points) and Mumbai (23 points) play each other, only one team can better Saurashtra’s tally of 26 points. Even Andhra (19 points) might get level with Saurashtra but will miss out by the bonus points criterion.

Between Mumbai and Maharashtra, the winner will advance to the knockouts. In fact, even a first innings lead would work for both. For Maharashtra, it would mean qualification with more points. For Mumbai, it would mean a qualification by more bonus points (since both Maharashtra and Mumbai will end with 26 points).

In case the match ends in a tie, both teams will get three points and Maharashtra will qualify. Mumbai, in this case, will be eliminated even if Saurashtra loses owing to the head to head criterion.

Andhra will be hoping against hope to advance. It first needs to win with a bonus point, and then hope that neither Mumbai or Maharashtra ends up taking a lead in their match.

Group C

With Karnataka the only team through from Group C, the second spot is open to four teams - Jharkhand (23 points), Rajasthan (20 points), Kerala (20 points) and Goa (18 points).

Jharkhand faces Karnataka, Rajasthan plays Services, Kerala takes on Pondicherry and Goa is up against Chhattisgarh.

Jharkhand needs a win to qualify safely. A first-innings lead will leave the window open to Rajasthan and Kerala to snatch the second place with a bonus point win. Rajasthan can go through even without a bonus point if Jharkhand loses, with a better quotient. Kerala does not have the same luxury, having secured no bonus point wins.

If Jharkhand loses or gets one point, and Kerala and Rajasthan get identical wins - with or without bonus point - Rajasthan goes through on more bonus points.

For Goa to qualify, it needs to win. A bonus point will be even better. Then it needs to hope that all three - Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Goa - fail to secure wins.

Group D

Defending champion Madhya Pradesh has qualified for the last-eight stage and the second spot in Group C is open to Punjab (26 points) and Vidarbha (19 points).

Both teams will play against each other. Vidarbha comes to the fixture on the back of defending the lowest total in Ranji Trophy against Gujarat, while Punjab beat Madhya Pradesh in the last round.

Punjab has a significant advantage in terms of points and just needs one more to seal the second spot. The only way Vidarbha pips Punjab into the knockouts is with a bonus point win, in which case Vidarbha will qualify by virtue of more wins.

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