Kolkata, May 20:
Their campaign hanging by a thread, Kolkata Knight Riders will have no option but to go all out against an already-eliminated Mumbai Indians in a crucial IPL match, here on Wednesday.
A defeat will officially end KKR’s playoff hopes for the second successive season under Ajinkya Rahane after their disappointing eighth-place finish in 2025, a year after lifting the title under Shreyas Iyer.
Even a win, however, may not be enough for the Rahane-led side as KKR’s fate will still depend on Punjab Kings’ away match against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
If Punjab win that game, KKR’s final league fixture against Delhi Capitals here on Sunday will become a dead rubber.As things stand, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already sealed playoff berths, while Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians are out of contention.That leaves five teams — Punjab Kings (13 points), Rajasthan Royals (12), Chennai Super Kings (12), Delhi Capitals (12) and Kolkata Knight Riders (11) — battling for the lone remaining playoff spot.
Among them, only Rajasthan Royals and KKR have two matches left.
Rajasthan have the simplest equation — win both remaining games against LSG and MI to finish on 16 points and seal qualification.
KKR, on the other hand, not only need to win both their matches but also hope Punjab stumble against LSG, as Punjab can still finish on 15 points with a significantly superior net run rate.
In hindsight, KKR would rue their poor start to the season. The Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise has now won five of its last six matches, but the turnaround came too late after a disastrous opening stretch of six-match winless run.
It took captain Rahane and coach Abhishek Nayar nearly seven games to settle on a winning combination, something marquee overseas signing Cameron Green also admitted after their victory over in-form Gujarat Titans in the previous match here.