After the end of the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy elite group matches, only Vidarbha from group B has managed to qualify for the quarterfinals. There are 7 places yet to be filled, and the final round of the group stage, starting on January 30, will be a crucial part of finalizing the top 8 teams from the 15 participating teams. Several teams across all groups face a make-or-break final round, with tight battles for knockout spots hinging on outright wins, bonus points, and favorable results. Key contenders like J&K, Baroda, and Tamil Nadu hold control, while others like Mumbai, Bengal, and Railways depend on complex scenarios to stay alive. Teams are ranked within their respective groups in the following order of criteria: Points, Number of Bonus Points, Wins, and Quotient. Here goes a brief of the conditions of each team, based on the groups. GROUP A: Jammu & Kashmir (29 points) – Jammu & Kashmir must secure at least one point in their upcoming match against Baroda to confirm a spot in the knockouts. If they fail, Mumbai could match their 29 points with an innings or 10-wicket win over Meghalaya and qualify due to having more bonus points (Mumbai has 2, J&K has 1). Baroda (27 points) – A draw with a first-innings lead against J&K will earn Baroda three points and a place in the knockouts. A victory, however, would allow them to top the group. Mumbai (22 points) – As defending champions, Mumbai need an outright win over Meghalaya with a bonus point. Additionally, they must hope for Baroda to defeat J&K to have a chance at qualification. Group B Gujarat (26 points) and Himachal Pradesh (21 points) – These two teams will face each other in a direct battle for the second spot behind Vidarbha. Himachal needs an outright win to leapfrog Gujarat and secure qualification. Read also: Virat Kohli Seeks Bangar's Guidance for Ranji Return Group C Haryana (26 points) – To ensure qualification, Haryana needs at least three points from their match against Karnataka. Kerala (21 points) – Playing Bihar at home, Kerala can confirm their spot with a win. Karnataka (19 points) – Karnataka can qualify by securing a bonus-point win against Haryana, which would be their second bonus-point victory of the season. Bengal (17 points) – Bengal has a slim chance of advancing. They need to beat Punjab and hope Kerala and Karnataka falter in the final round. Group D Tamil Nadu (25 points) – Tamil Nadu can seal their spot in the knockouts by avoiding defeat in their final match against Jharkhand. Chandigarh (19 points) – A bonus-point win over Chhattisgarh will secure Chandigarh’s qualification without relying on other results. Saurashtra (18 points) – Saurashtra's hopes hinge on two factors: they must defeat Assam with a bonus point, and either Tamil Nadu or Chandigarh must lose their final matches. Railways (17 points) – Railways can join Tamil Nadu in the knockouts if they beat Delhi and both Chandigarh and Saurashtra fail to win outright. The Top of every group stands like this: Group A M W L D Pts J&K 6 4 1 1 29 Baroda 6 4 1 1 25 Mumbai 6 3 2 1 22 Odisha 6 2 2 1 17 Services 6 2 3 1 16 Group B M W L D Pts Vidarbha 6 5 0 1 34 Gujarat 6 3 0 3 26 Himachal 6 3 3 0 21 Hyderabad 6 2 2 2 16 Rajasthan 6 1 1 4 16 Group C M W L D Pts Haryana 6 3 0 3 26 Kerala 6 2 0 4 21 Karnataka 6 2 0 4 19 Bengal 6 1 1 3 14 UP 6 1 1 4 13 Group D M W L D Pts Tamil Nadu 6 3 0 3 25 Chandigarh 6 3 3 0 19 Saurashtra 6 2 2 2 18 Railways 6 2 1 3 17 Jharkhand 6 1 1 4 14