Punjab, Baroda lead race for quarter-final spots

Group leaders Karnataka (21 points) and second-placed Mumbai (20 points) are already in the quarter-finals since, irrespective of how they fare in their final fixtures, they won't drop below third spot in the group. Behind them, though, there is a traffic jam for the final quarter-final berth in the group with five teams, separated by a five points, in the running.

Punjab - 15 points

Punjab need five points from their final match - an away game against Mumbai - to guarantee their place in the quarter-final line-up. An outright victory will take them through but their opponents are yet to lose a game this season. If Punjab cannot manage a win, they can still make it but only if other results go their way. A draw with first-innings points will take Punjab to 18 - a tally that both Uttar Pradesh and Railways are capable of matching, or exceeding, with wins. A draw without the first-innings lead will give Punjab only one point, leaving them susceptible to a Saurashtra win, in addition to the threat from UP and Railways. Punjab can put all speculation to rest if they beat Mumbai in Mumbai.

Railways and Uttar Pradesh - 13 points

The two teams may be equal on points, but Railways have a crucial advantage going into the final round of games. They have won one game in the first six rounds, level with Punjab, while UP are winless. This means Railways only need to match UP's points tally to pip them. The more likely threat will be from Punjab, though - if they win, Railways will miss out. If Punjab don't beat Mumbai, Railways will make it if they get five points against Saurashtra, provided UP don't go one better against Karnataka in Shimoga. The form guide, apart from home advantage, favours Railways: table-toppers Karnataka are unbeaten this season, while Saurashtra have lost one game. UP's slender advantage in the quotient calculation is unlikely to be consequence.

Saurashtra - 11 points

Saurashtra need a convoluted series of permutations to fall into place if they are to sneak in. They need to win their game against Railways, hope Punjab lose, and UP to not win. Even if Punjab draw their game, Saurashtra can make it as long as Punjab are limited to one point in their final match.

Rajasthan - 10 points

The defending champions can at best finish with 16 points, a tally well within the range of Punjab, Railways, UP, and even Saurashtra. Their chances are bleak, but if Rajasthan make it, they will face a Plate team in the quarter-finals on account of their seeding advantage.

Orissa - 2 points

Orissa are facing relegation after a disastrous season. They have suffered three defeats and managed only two points. They will be playing for pride when they square off against Rajasthan in Jaipur.

Group A points table

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts	Quotient	For	Against
Karnataka	6	2	0	0	4	0	21	1.871	3248/63	2728/99
Mumbai	6	2	0	0	4	0	20	1.325	3159/64	3093/83
Punjab	6	1	1	0	4	0	15	0.851	3283/95	2802/69
Railways	6	1	2	0	3	0	13	0.968	2589/83	2611/81
Uttar Pradesh	6	0	1	0	5	0	13	1.109	2949/66	2900/72
Saurashtra	6	1	1	0	4	0	11	0.897	2813/74	3347/79
Rajasthan	6	1	0	0	5	0	10	0.858	3474/77	3364/64
Orissa	6	0	3	0	3	0	2	0.555	2366/87	3036/62

Like in the other group, the top two teams - Tamil Nadu (17 points) and Madhya Pradesh (16 points) - are through to the quarter-finals. Delhi (11 points) have completed their league assignments and are out of the race, but the remaining four teams are all in the running for the one remaining spot. The threat of relegation also looms over some of them.

Baroda - 13 points

Baroda need only first-innings points in their home fixture against Bengal to secure their passage into the quarter-finals. Anything less, and their berth could under threat from Haryana, Gujarat or Bengal. Like Rajasthan, Baroda will be drawn against a Plate team if they make it to the quarters.

Haryana - 9 points

Haryana need to beat Gujarat in Surat to have a shot at the final eight. Their fate will then depend upon the outcome of the Baroda-Bengal fixture in Vadodara. Haryana will root for Bengal in that match and want them to take five points from it, while conceding none to Baroda. That will allow Haryana to leapfrog both, if they defeat Gujarat. Things will get more complex for Haryana, though, if Baroda get one point in Surat. Haryana will then need six points to get ahead of them.

Gujarat and Bengal - 8 points

Both teams need six points from their final games to stay in the race, and will also watch the action unfold in each other's games closely. Gujarat need Bengal to beat Baroda outright, while Bengal will be hoping for a draw in Surat. While qualification might be a bridge too far, both Gujarat and Bengal will be eager to win and ensure they aren't relegated to the Plate League next year. Haryana, too, will need a strong result in order to stay clear of relegation.