Kolkata Knight Riders handed a 54-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday to keep their slim semi-final hopes alive. After opting to bat first at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, the Shreyas Iyer-led side posted 177/6 despite Umran Malik’s 3/33, courtesy Andre Russell’s 49 not out off 28. In return, KKR restricted SRH to 123/8 in 20 overs as Russell returned 3/22 and Tim Southee took 2/23.
The win takes KKR to sixth spot in IPL 2022 table with 12 points from 13 games. They play their next match against Lucknow Super Giants on May 18 and even a win in that game would not be sufficient for them to qualify for the playoffs. Besides two points in their last league match, KKR also need a lot of luck to finish in the top-four.
While Gujarat Titans have already qualified for the playoffs and currently occupy the top spot in the points table, LSG hold the second place. The KL Rahul-led side, which has 16 points from 12 games, just needs to win its next game that is against Rajasthan Royals on May 15 to seal a top-two finish. LSG play their last league game against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 18.
With 14 points from 12 games, Rajasthan Royals are at the third spot in the table. Their NRR is +0.228. Another win will take them closer to playoffs while a second win from here on will not only seal their playoff berth but can also help them finish in top-two. They play LSG next, while their last league game is against Chennai Super Kings on May 20.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore have 14 points from 13 games. They face Gujarat Titans on May 19 in a must-win game. A loss in that game will more or less close the playoff doors for RCB as their NRR is -0.323 which will become further poor if they lose.
Apart from the top three teams in table, they are Delhi Capitals, who have a great chance to enter the playoffs. They have 12 points from as many games. Their NRR is +0.210. If they can win their remaining two matches, they are sure to get a playoff berth. They play Punjab Kings next May 16 and Mumbai Indians on May 21.
The match between PBKS and DC will also decided the fate of the former team as it also has 12 points from as many games with an NRR of +0.023. PBKS' last league game is against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22.
On the other, SRH are practically out of playoff race as they can now have a maximum of 14 points and their NRR is -0.270. They have an outside chance but they need a lot of luck to make it happen.
Meanwhile, CSK and MI are already out of playoff race.
