IPL 2026 Playoffs Scenario After KKR Beat MI: Fight For One Spot Gets More Intense

Kolkata Knight Riders, after five losses in their first six games, were virtually counted out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. However, they are now on a winning streak. Kolkata Knight Riders lived to fight another day with a crucial four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians after Sunil Narine-led bowlers once again delivered on a testing Eden Gardens surface to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive on Wednesday. Needing nothing less than a win to remain in contention, KKR rode on a clinical bowling effort to restrict the already eliminated five-time champions to a modest 147/8 after Ajinkya Rahane won an important toss.

All teams have now played 13 games. Three playoff spots are already sealed: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (18 points), Gujarat Titans (16 points) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (16 points). Five teams are vying for the one remaining spot: Rajasthan Royals (14), Punjab Kings (13), KKR (13), Chennai Super Kings (12) and Delhi Capitals (12). All of them need to win their last match to advance.

However, there is a remote possibility of RR qualifying for the playoffs even with a loss in their last game, but for that to happen, they need to have a strong run rate and hope that other teams in contention lose their matches. DC play KKR in their final match and the winner of that game must have lesser run-rate than RR for Vaibhav Sooryvanshi's side to progress even with a loss.

In reply, veteran Manish Pandey (45 off 33 balls; 6x4) finally got an opportunity to bat at No. 3 with talented keeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi injured and anchored a tense chase with a 33-ball 45.

He, along with Rovman Powell (40; 30b, 4x4, 2x6), shared a crucial 64-run partnership to set it up as the hosts overhauled the 148-run target in 18.5 overs.

The victory lifted KKR from eighth to sixth in the standings with 13 points and kept their slim playoff hopes alive with six wins from 13 matches.

However, their fate is no longer in their own hands as KKR will now closely follow Rajasthan Royals' clash against Mumbai Indians on Sunday afternoon before they face Delhi Capitals in the evening clash.

A Royals win would seal their qualification and eliminate KKR, rendering Kolkata's final league game against DC inconsequential.

For MI, it was their ninth defeat in 13 matches as the five-time champions remained second from bottom with one game left.

On a surface where strokeplay remained difficult, KKR began shakily and lost both openers inside the powerplay.

Finn Allen, coming off a blistering 35-ball 93 in the previous match against Gujarat Titans, started aggressively with two boundaries before Deepak Chahar cleaned him up for 8.

Ajinkya Rahane survived an lbw review via umpire's call but never looked comfortable during his 17-ball 21 before edging Corbin Bosch in the final over of the powerplay.

Bosch struck again in the eighth over when Cameron Green (4) miscued a poor delivery down the leg side straight to fine leg as KKR slipped to 54/3.

Mumbai sensed an opening but let the game drift through sloppy fielding.

Jasprit Bumrah, enduring another forgettable outing, leaked 14 runs in his second over as KKR steadily rebuilt through Pandey and Powell.

There was further frustration for MI in the 10th over when Powell top-edged a pull off Hardik Pandya.

Deepak Chahar at fine leg appeared set for the catch but left it for Robin Minz running across from deep square leg, only for the ball to land safely between them.

Pandey, however, could not complete the chase and was cleaned up by Bumrah, while in the next over, Powell fell to AM Ghazanfar.

But with hardly any scoreboard pressure - KKR needed 19 from the last four overs - Rinku Singh (nine not out) and Anukul Roy (four not out) sealed their seventh win in the last eight matches.

Earlier, KKR's bowlers had exploited the sticky conditions superbly as Cameron Green (2/23; three overs), left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey (2/34) and Sunil Narine's exceptional figures of 1/13 choked MI.

Green was exceptional on the field and with the ball, striking twice in the space of three deliveries to remove Ryan Rickelton (6) and Naman Dhir (0).

He then pulled off a stunning running catch from midwicket to dismiss Rohit Sharma (15) off Dubey just when the Indian stalwart was looking to break free.

MI went on to lose three wickets for six runs in the space of eight balls.

After a one-hour rain interruption, KKR's spin duo of Narine and Varun Chakravarthy tightened the screws further, conceding just 14 runs in their first four overs while bowling in tandem.

Narine, in particular, was menacing with his turn and variable bounce, repeatedly troubling Tilak Varma before taking the prized scalp of MI skipper Hardik Pandya (26; 27b), beating him with a delivery that drifted in and stayed low to crash into the stumps.

Chakravarthy was unlucky not to dismiss Tilak on 12 after spilling a return catch following a collision with wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Raghuvanshi hurt his hand in the process and had to walk off the field, with Tejasvi Dahiya coming on as a substitute.

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Kolkata Knight Riders Mumbai Indians Chennai Super Kings Punjab Kings IPL 2026 Cricket