Day by day, it’s becoming more challenging for the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to even qualify for the play-offs. A team that won the title in the previous season are finding itself in the seventh position with just seven points from nine matches and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.212 after today’s washout. Now, the question arises of how KKR can still qualify for the playoffs!
KKR’s Qualification Scenario:
For KKR to qualify for the Playoffs, they have to win all their matches from now on. But the only advantage they have is the point they got yesterday for the washout. Generally, in the IPL, 16 points are considered to be a safe number to qualify for the play-offs. And if KKR wins all their matches from now on, they can reach up to 17 points, which will give them the advantage of an extra point. But not only does KKR need five wins from now, they also need some big wins to improve their net run-rate.
Also, the fifth and sixth-placed teams like MI and LSG have to face teams like GT, PBKS, DC, and RCB. All these teams have been fantastic so far, and hence, somehow, both these teams crumble under pressure, then win in the remaining gams can help KKR to get an entry into the top four.
Otherwise, they might miss the play-off position by a whisker, like what happened to them in the 2019 season. In that season, Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Delhi Capitals (DC) were first, second, and third, respectively, with 18 points. But the fight for the fourth spot was between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and KKR, as both of them were at 12 points. However, KKR lost the fourth spot to SRH as SRH had a better NRR than KKR.
Who are the teams that KKR have yet to face?
The path will not be easy at all for KKR as they have to face DC, RR, CSK, SRH, and RCB in their upcoming matches. But if KKR manages to do that, it will not be the first time they will be doing it. In the 2014 season, they won all their last five matches to qualify for the play-offs in the second spot and eventually went on to win their second trophy.