IPL 2022 Points Table: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans Start Favourites In Fight For Top Spot

Gujarat Titans are playing Kolkata Knight Riders while Royal Challengers Bangalore face Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2022 double-header on Saturday.

Koushik Paul

Updated on: 23 April 2022 10:00 am

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya is back into the XI after missing the last IPL 2022 game.

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans will start favourites in their respective IPL 2022 encounters on Saturday as the fight for the top spot gets intense. RCB take on Sunrisers Hyderabad while Gujarat Titans face Kolkata Knight Riders in a double-header in Mumbai.

IPL Points Table | IPL Schedule | GT vs KKR Scorecard

GT and RCB occupy the second and third spots respectively in the IPL 2022 standings with 10 points each after being pushed down by Rajasthan Royals. RR went atop the standings after their dramatic win over Delhi Capitals on Friday night.

All the teams taking the top three spots are level on 10 points but the Sanju Samson-led RR are on top due to a better net run-rate (NRR) of +0.432. However, a comfortable win for either of the sides would see them topple the Pink Army at the top, who have five wins from seven games.

Debutants Gujarat Titans are having an NRR of +0.395 having won five of the six matches they have played so far. Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand have lost twice in their seven outings and are with an NRR of +0.251.

Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad are on a four-match winning streak and would like to break into the top four with a win against star-studded RCB. SRH started with a couple of losses in their opening two games but have come back strongly with back-to-back four wins on the trot.

Although SRH (-0.077) are having a negative NRR and on eight points from six games, a win for them will help the Kane Williamson-led side displace Lucknow Super Giants at fourth. For KKR, the two-time champions are to blame themselves.

After a good start to IPL 2022, winning three of the first four games, KKR, last season’s runners-up slumped to three back-to-back losses and are languishing at seventh. Kolkata Knight Riders have accumulated just six points from seven games.

The likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane and Aaron Finch have failed to give them strong starts while the bowling department too has been unsuccessful in picking up wickets on a consistent basis. A victory for two-time champions on Saturday against Gujarat Titans will rise them into the top five again.