Can MI still qualify for playoffs after IPL 2022's first win over Rajasthan Royals?

The win brought back smiles on MI players and support staff as well as owners and fans present in the stadium.

Source: Twitter

Mumbai Indians have done it finally. They have won their first match of the tournament. On Saturday (April 30), Rohit Sharma-led MI beat Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals to collect their first two points in IPL 2022 and open their account. 

Chasing 159 to win, MI got off to another bad start in the tournament, with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit failing yet again. 

Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma played well to steady the chase and bring MI back on track. 

____ __ ____ aur Raju ki scheme..._____ ___ _#OneFamily #DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians #RRvMI @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/OhE7bTcB2X — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 30, 2022

However, they fell in quick succession, and RR came back strongly in the game. 

Tim David, Kieron Pollard then got together to take the match to last over, in which they required 4 to win. 

But Pollard got out on the first ball of the over bowled by Kuldeep Sen. It seemed as it the game will see an anti-climax. But it was not to be as Daniel Sams sent the second ball of the over to the deep mid-wicket stand at at DY Patil Sports Stadium to seal the first win for Mumbai Indians. 

The win brought back smiles on MI players and support staff's faces as well as on those of owners and fans present in the stadium. 

Can MI still qualify for playoffs? 

Mathematically, yes. They could still make it but with three teams - Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals and Luckow Super Giants - already touching or going past the theshold of 12 points, they are all but out. 

With five games in hand, Mumbai can jump to a maximum of 12 points if it manages to win all of its remaining matches. Even if they win remaining 5 matches, they have to hope and wait that other teams also end up at 12 points and then NRR decides the fourth place. This scenario looks very unlikely.