Ranji Trophy scenarios: Ahead of final round, 15 teams remain in contention for seven spots in QF | Cricket News

At the close of the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy elite group matches on Sunday, only one among the 32 competing Elite group sides had confirmed a spot in the quarterfinals.
Heading into the final league stage round, starting January 30, 15 teams remain in contention for the remaining seven spots alongside Vidarbha who have topped Group B and booked a knockout slot.
Teams are ranked in their respective groups based on Points/No. Of Bonus/Points/Wins/Quotient in that order.
Jammu and Kashmir’s players celebrate after winning a Ranji Trophy cricket match against Mumbai at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai on Saturday. (PTI Photo)
Group-wise breakdown of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 scenarios:
Group A
J & K (29 pts) – J&K could miss the knockouts unless they secure at least one point from the upcoming match against Baroda. If J&K slip-up, Mumbai can equal level J&K with an innings/10-wicket win over Meghalaya and qualify with a better count of bonus points (2) over J&K (1).
Baroda (27 pts) – Baroda can secure their spot in the knockouts gaining at least three points from a draw with the first-innings lead over J&K. A win would help them top the group.
Mumbai (22 pts) – The defending champions will need to beat Meghalaya with a bonus point and hope Baroda defeats J&K outright.
Group B
Gujarat (26 pts) and Himachal Pradesh (21 pts) – The teams will be in a direct shootout for one spot behind Vidarbha. Himachal will require an outright victory to knock Gujarat down from second place.
Group C
Haryana (26 pts) – Taking on Karnataka, Haryana will need a minimum of three points to secure their spot.
Kerala (21 pts) – Facing Bihar at home, Kerala can secure their spot with a win.
Karnataka (19 pts) – Karnataka can qualify for the knockouts bonus points if they claim their second such win of the season over Haryana.
Bengal (17 pts) – Standing with an outside chance, Bengal can spring to second place with a win over Punjab, provided Kerala and Karnataka slip up in the last round.
Group D
Tamil Nadu (25 pts) – Can secure qualification if they avoid defeat against Jharkhand in the last round.
Chandigarh (19 pts) – A bonus point win over Chhattisgarh will help them through to the knockouts without depending on other results.
Saurashtra (18 pts) – Saurashtra can only force their way through if one of Tamil Nadu or Chandigarh lose their final game besides winning their match against Assam with a bonus point.
Railways (17 pts) – Railways can join Tamil Nadu in the knockouts with a win over Delhi, provided Chandigarh and Saurashtra fail to secure outright wins in their respective games.
With 14 points apiece, Delhi and Jharkhand are also mathematically alive in the race, requiring a hoard of other results to go in their favour.
How they stand

*Top five of every group