Bengal, Saurashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are already through, leaving 11 teams jostling for the other four spots
Hemant Brar22-Jan-2023As the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season enters the last round of the group stage, the race for the quarter-finals slots in the Elite groups has grown intense. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockouts. While Bengal, Saurashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have already sealed their spots, ESPNcricinfo looks at what the other contenders need to do.But before that, here is something to keep in mind: if two or more teams are tied on points, the standings will be decided as per the following. The team with more bonus points will be ranked higher. If it’s still a tie, the team with more wins will get precedence. The next preference will be given to head-to-head results – only wins count here, and not first-innings lead in case of draws. If the teams still cannot be separated, the one with the higher run quotient will be placed higherGroup A – Uttarakhand and Himachal battle for one spot
Haryana vs Uttarakhand, Rohtak; Himachal Pradesh vs Uttar Pradesh, NadaunFrom Group A, Bengal are already in the quarter-finals with 32 points. That leaves Uttarakhand (26) and Himachal Pradesh (20) fighting for the other spot. If Uttarakhand beat Haryana or take a first-innings lead in case of a draw, they will qualify irrespective of what Himachal do against Uttar Pradesh.Himachal need nothing less than a bonus-point win. But even after that, they will need Uttarakhand to either lose or get just one point from their match.Points system
Win: 6 points*
Draw with a first-innings lead: 3 points
Draw with a first-innings deficit: 1 point
Draw with first innings not completed: 1 point
Tie: 3 points
*One bonus point in case of an innings or a ten-wicket win
If Uttarakhand lose, will be stuck on 26 points, and Himachal will qualify with 27. If Uttarakhand get one point, both teams will be tied on 27 points. But Himachal will have two bonus points to Uttarakhand’s one and will thus be ranked higher.However, if Himachal miss out on the bonus point, an Uttarakhand defeat will not help them either. In that situation, both teams will be tied on 26 points, with one bonus point and three wins each. But Uttarakhand will qualify on the basis of the head-to-head record: they beat Himachal by five wickets in late December.If there is one thing in Himachal’s favour, it’s that they will be playing at home.Group C – Four teams vie for one spot
Jharkhand vs Karnataka, Jamshedpur; Rajasthan vs Services, Jodhpur; Puducherry vs Kerala, Puducherry; Chhattisgarh vs Goa, RaipurWith Karnataka having already qualified, Jharkhand, Kerala, Rajasthan and Goa have been left scurrying for the second quarter-final spot from Group C.If Jharkhand beat Karnataka in their final group-stage match, they will be through. But if they lose, or get only one point, they will hope neither Rajasthan nor Kerala win their respective games.If Jharkhand draw with a first-innings lead, both Rajasthan and Kerala can still overtake them with bonus-point wins. Rajasthan can finish above Jharkhand even if they fail to secure the bonus point; it will come down to run quotient then.For Rajasthan and Kerala to have a chance, though, they must win their respective games. A draw will not help either’s cause. If both finish on equal points, Rajasthan will be ranked higher on the basis of bonus points.For Goa to qualify, they will have to beat Chhattisgarh, and then hope neither Kerala nor Rajasthan win, and that Jharkhand lose. If Jharkhand pick up one point, Goa may want to win with a bonus point, or it will come down to the run quotient.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();
Group D – Vidarbha need bonus point
Punjab vs Vidarbha, MohaliMadhya Pradesh had qualified even before the penultimate round started. It leaves Punjab and Vidarbha as the only teams in contention for the other spot. Coincidentally, they will face each other in their last group match.Playing at home, Punjab just need to make sure they don’t lose by an innings or ten wickets. If Vidarbha are to qualify, they need to win with a bonus point. In that case, both Punjab and Vidarbha will be tied on 26 points, with one bonus point each. But Vidarbha will have four wins to Punjab’s three and will therefore go into the quarter-finals.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();
