Ahead of the must-win match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals' all-rounder Ben Stokes said that the race for reaching the playoffs will go down to the wire this season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Rajasthan and Kolkata have 12 points from 13 matches and these two teams need to win their last game to remain in with a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Royals and KKR will lock horns against each other on Sunday, November 1 at the Dubai International Stadium.
"We will be going in with a positive mindset in the final game. Obviously, we will look for the win in Dubai, KKR are a good side and we will have to play well and play with intent to beat them," Stokes said in an official Rajasthan Royals release.
"It's probably going to go down to the wire, the race for the final four, we have just got to believe in ourselves, play positively, and carry the momentum we have," he added.
Royals won their last fixture against Kings XI Punjab by seven wickets after chasing down a total of 186. Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson once again starred with the bat in hand to guide Rajasthan to a victory.
On the other hand, KKR lost their last game against Chennai Super Kings, making their way to the playoffs a bit hard.
Till now, only Mumbai Indians have qualified for the playoffs as the side has 16 points from 12 matches.