The Royal Challengers Bengaluru were snowed under the avalanche of expectations before coming into this year’s IPL. The side has been deprived of a single title since 2008 as the fans waited for their stars to align. As their female peers lifted the coveted trophy in the Women’s Premier League 2024, the spectators eyed a turnaround for them as well.

However, the start was thorny for the Royal Challengers. With only one win from the first seven matches, the side looked down and out initially, but the 2016 runner-ups amazed the spectators by staging a spell-binding comeback as they won six consecutive games and qualified for the playoffs.

As RCB stand on the cusp of reaching the summit clash with only two matches left, their chances of replicating what the women’s team had achieved earlier now look believable. While the Kolkata Knight Riders have already qualified for the final, the Royal Challengers couldn’t have asked for a better scenario to unfold.

Here's an interesting pattern. The women’s team of the Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Delhi Capitals in the final of WPL. The latter had previously beaten RCB in the group-stage clash by one run. Interestingly, RCB’s men’s team have also lost to finalists KKR in the group stage of this year’s IPL by one run. Furthermore, the two sides lost both their group matches against the eventual finalists in their respective leagues. Thus, by bringing this ‘one-run’ factor into play, the Royal Challengers may similarly dethrone the Knight Riders like their women’s team did against the Delhi Capitals where they went on to lift the title.

However, to reach that stage, they must win the first eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals followed by the second Qualifier against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. While the team is already cruising on the momentum it has garnered from its six-match winning streak, it may not look like a tall order for them. With a lot already falling in place for them lately this season, the side would surely not like to eliminate the ‘one-run’ factor for them should they lock horns with KKR in the summit clash on Sunday, May 26.

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