Kolkata Knight Riders, the reigning IPL champions, endured another tough night at home as they slumped to a 39-run defeat against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Monday, April 21.
Chasing a target of 199, KKR could only manage 149 for 8, despite a gritty half-century from skipper Ajinkya Rahane.
This marked their fifth defeat of the season, keeping them stuck in seventh place on the table with just six points from eight matches.
Even after a disappointing first half of the season, KKR are still in contention for the playoffs—but only just.
Winning all six of their remaining league games would take them to 18 points, a tally that’s almost certain to guarantee a top-four finish.
If they manage five wins out of six, they’ll reach 16 points, which still gives them a solid shot depending on other results.
However, losing two or more of their remaining matches would likely knock them out of the playoff race.
“In previous years, teams with 14 points have also qualified, but this time it seems unlikely.”
That’s because Gujarat Titans already have 12 points with six matches to go, and four other teams—Delhi Capitals, RCB, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants—are all tied at 10 points each from eight games.
KKR’s next match is against Punjab Kings on April 26, right back at Eden Gardens.
It’s a crucial clash, especially since KKR couldn’t even chase a modest 112 against them in their previous encounter this season.
After that, they hit the road to face Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 29.
Their 11th game returns them to home turf, where they’ll battle Rajasthan Royals on May 4. Just three days later, on May 7, they’ll host Chennai Super Kings—a fixture that always carries weight and pressure.
KKR’s final stretch includes two tricky away games.
On May 10, they face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Their league stage concludes on May 17 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
With the odds tightening and competition heating up, every match from here on is a do-or-die for the Knight Riders if they want to keep their playoff dreams alive.
