Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is set to face off Rajasthan Royals (RR) in today’s eliminator match for a spot in Qualifier 2, where the winner will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). On Tuesday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured a direct place in the IPL final with a decisive eight-wicket victory over SRH in Qualifier 1, marking their fourth appearance in the IPL final. If SRH wins the eliminator on Friday in Chennai, they will have another chance to advance to the championship game and compete against KKR in the final.
Not many know this but the final, eliminator, and qualifier matches are governed by three special rules.
The Extra Time Rule
In case if the game is suspended or delayed due to any reason, extra time is provided for up to 60 minutes. However, for playoff matches, that is qualifiers, eliminators, and finals, extra time up to 120 minutes is granted. The extra time will be utilised in a specific order when needed. Initially, the time granted, that is either 60 minutes or 120 minutes, will be used, and in case more time is required, allocated time for ‘time outs’ will be used. Further, the innings change interval may be reduced if necessary. Notably, the changeover time, which is a maximum of 10 minutes, for a super over following the main match is not considered while applying the extra time.
Reserve Day Rule
In addition to the extra time, reserve day may be scheduled for playoff matches, that is, qualifiers, eliminators, and finals to complete an incomplete match.
What if there’s a tie?
In case there’s a tie in any of the qualifiers, eliminators, and finals, a specific procedure will be followed. Firstly, the teams will compete in a super over. If required, additional super-overs will also be played to identify a winner. Due to time constraints, if super overs cannot be played, at the end of the regular season the team that finishes higher in the league table will be declared the winner of that particular playoff match.