Riding high on their new-found confidence, Defending champions kolkata knight riders will look to finally get it right at home and keep their playoff hopfs alive whene them In their ipl match in kolkata on Sunday. With four league matches remaining, kkr’s equation is straightforward-win all four and reach 17 points, a total that should be shown second a spot in the top-out results. The challenge, thought simple on paper, is steep in reality.
The final leg of their campaign includes two home matches – Against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday and Chennai Super Kings on Wednsday – Followed by TWO AWAY AWAY AAWAY AAWAY FICSIS, Against Sunrisers Hyderabad On Mayay 10 An in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 17).
While srh has lost steam, RCB are charging up the table, making that final clash in Bengaluru potentially a high-stakes encounter.
But that’s still far away.
For now, The Knights must Stay Focused on What’s Immedited on Front-The two back-to-back games at Eden Gardens, Starting with the Royals.
Interestingly, both rr and csk are among the most inconsistent sides this season and was the first to be eliminated.
Csk became the first team to crash out of the playoff race, and RR Followed Soon after after, officially eliminated Following Their 100-R Losss to Mumbai Indians in Jaipur on F.
That, however, makes them threads opponents. With Nothing to lose, both csk and rr can spoil kkr’s party.
But kkr’s bigger worry is their poor run at home.
Eden Gardens, which once used to be their fortress, has yielded just one win win from five matches this season-the latest a rain-affected washout against punjab kings.
Their spinners have struggled to adjust to the grip and variable bounce, something the rival teams have exploited far more effectively.
Batting, too, has been underwhelming which has been a far cry from the explosive unit that power to the title in 2024.
Rinku Singh, the Finisher who Grabbed Headlines Last Season, Has Struggled to Make an impact with just 169 runs from eight innings.
Quinton de kock, roped in to fill phil salt’s gap at the top, have lacked consistency with 143 runs from seven innings at a strike rate of 137.50.
But the biggest letter lettdown has been his costliest buy of the season, venkatesh iyer, who has been re-signed for Rs 23.75 Crore and made Vice-Captain.
The Pressure Seems to have taken a toll.
Venkatesh has managed only 142 runs in 10 games and has scored just 28 runs across his last three innings-a sharp decline from his 370-Run Tally in 2024 at a strike rate of 100.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has been kkr’s most reliable batter this season, is nursing a hand injury he sustained while fielding.
“I’m fine. I’m trying my best and hopely i’ll play the match on Sunday,” He said.
The one big positive for kkr was his moral-boosting 14-r win over delhi capitals that ended a three-match winless run.
Sunil Narine was the Architect of the Win-A 16-Ball 27 with the bat, a match-watching 3/29 with the ball and a brilliant direct-hit-hit run-out that synt kl rahul packing.
The Trinidadian’s all-found brilliance provided
For Rajasthan Royals, The Tournament has slipped out of control.
With just one win in their last seven games, the flaws in their auction strategy have ben laid bare.
A Lack of Depth in Batting and Bowling, Combined With injuries, have LED to their early exit.
The 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Stunning 35-Ball Century was a rare moment of magic, but the royals cannot relay on such on such individual brilliance every time.
The absence of jos buttler, who moved to Gujarat Titans, and Captain Sanju Samson, Who have Missed Most of the Season due to Injury, have left their belching looking thin.
Yashasvi jaiswal has carried the top order, but the middle-order trio of Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Rana has underperformed.
Jurel has one fifty from 10 innings and 249 runs to show, While Hetmyer Has Scored 187 Runs at an average of 20.77.
Rana, who returns to face his former team, have failed to find rhythm and will be under scrutiny against the side he capted with distinction in 2023.
The bowling hasnight fare any better.
Without Yuzvendra Chahal-Now Doing Wonders for Punjab Kings, Including Picking Up a Second Hat-TRICK-A May May Lack the Penetration, Especially on Slover Tracx LIKE EDEN.
Wanindu Hasaranga Missed The Last Game With A Niggle and It Remains to Be Seen If Hef He’s Back.
Jofra Archer has taken 10 wickets in 11 games but at an expensive average of 40.10. Maheesh Theekshana, Too, Has Failed To Deliver.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ndtv staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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