The Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Rajasthan Royals on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium to register their fourth win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. The franchise started the season on a great note, however, lost momentum mid-way.
A win against the Rajasthan Royals on Monday has kept the franchise’s hope alive. However, with enough points from ten matches, their road ahead is tougher. The franchise has throughout the season, struggled to find its perfect playing combination. They have played as many as 20 players in 10 matches, the most by a franchise this season.
Kolkata Knight Riders lost four consecutive matches before winning on Monday. They are placed seventh on the points table with eight points from ten matches. As the tournament is getting closer to the business end, all the franchises need to up their game, to stay alive in the playoffs race. However, Kolkata’s losing streak of four matches may haunt them in the qualification race of IPL 2022.
How Kolkata Knight Riders can qualify for the playoffs
As mentioned earlier, the franchise’s poor performance in the middle stages of the Indian Premier League may cost them the playoffs berth. Kolkata Knight Riders have played 10 matches so far and will play four more in the coming weeks. To stay alive in the race, the franchise needs to win all four matches. However, even that will not guarantee them a playoff spot.
#Win all the remaining matches: The Kolkata Knight Riders will get 16 points if they win all their remaining matches. However, as the season features 10 teams, Kolkata needs to focus on other teams’ results for their future in the tournament. They also need to keep an eye on their Net Run Rate, which is 0.060 currently.
#Rajasthan Royals or Sunrisers Hyderabad lose three matches: The table-toppers Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants are sitting comfortably with 16 and 14 points from nine and ten matches respectively. They seemed to have one foot already in the playoffs.
The tougher race is between the other franchises. The Rajasthan Royals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad have 12 and 10 points respectively from 10 and nine matches. The Kolkata Knight Riders will need these franchises to lose at least three of their remaining matches.
#Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings don’t get to 16 points: Along with the results of Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad franchises, Kolkata will also want the other three franchises in the race, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings to not get to 16 points. The Shreyas Iyer-led team, meanwhile even has to work on their Net Run Rate, to edge the franchises in case of a 16-points tie.
Get the latest cricket news here and like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.