Two-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders haven't had the best of seasons so far, and as the Shreyas Iyer-led franchise faces off against Lucknow Super Giants, the big question is, can KKR still qualify for playoffs?
The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise got off to a good start in IPL 2022, however, they suffered a dip in form and were on the receiving end of five straight defeats lately.
In their previous match against Rajasthan Royals, KKR did register a much-needed 7 wicket win, to end their losing streak however, they still remain in a precarious position on the league standings, with just four wins from 10 games.
READ| IPL 2022: Meet 'mystery girl' of Punjab Kings Shashi Dhiman who is stand-up comedian by profession
Shreyas Iyer's side have collected only 8 points from a possible 20, and thus they are languishing in eighth place on the league table. With only four games remaining in the season, KKR cannot afford any more slipups.
How can KKR qualify to IPL 2022 playoffs?
If Kolkata Knight Riders win all of their remaining four games, then they can reach a maximum of 16 points, which in theory, could be enough for them to qualify for the playoffs of IPL 2022, however, they will have to maintain a positive net run rate (NNR) and hope for favours from other teams as well.
Put simply, KKR will have to win all of their remaining games, starting with the match against Lucknow Super Giants tonight.
READ| IPL 2022: LSG to celebrate 'mother's day', players will don jerseys with their mom's name
Currently, the franchise from Kolkata have a net run rate of +0.060, and they are the only team among the bottom four, to have a positive net run rate.
Interestingly, KKR were in a similar position last season as well, but recovered well and won six of their last eight league games to qualify for the playoffs, as they would go on to reach the final, however, the two-time IPL champs were beaten by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the summit clash.
Here's what KKR's schedule looks like going ahead:
READ| Ranveer Singh to Raveena Tandon: Celebrities spotted at IPL 2022
May 9 - MI vs KKR - 7:30 PM (DY Patil Stadium)
May 14 - KKR vs SRH - 7:30 PM (MCA Stadium, Pune)
May 18 - KKR vs LSG - 7:30 PM (DY Patil Stadium)
