The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the reigning champions, came into the 2025 IPL season hoping to win a fourth championship. For the team lead by Ajinkya Rahane, however, the trip has been uneventful.
KKR lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by a dismal seven wickets at home in the season opener. But in their subsequent match, they overcame the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to recover. Eight teams remain in the running for the playoffs as of May 4, with both RR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) having been formally eliminated from the competition.
KKR’s Current Standing
| Matches Won | 05 |
| No Result | 01 |
| Total Points | 11 |
| Net Run Rate (NRR) | +0.249 |
| Current Position | 06 |
| Matches Left | 03 |
Basic Requirements for Playoff Qualification
The IPL has adhered to a 10-team format since 2022. Since then, the following trends have been observed:
- 16 points (8 wins): Almost certain qualification
- 14 points (7 wins): Likely qualification, dependent on NRR and other results (RCB in 2024)
- 12 points (6 wins): Rare, only once has a team qualified with 12 points (SRH in 2019)
KKR’s Remaining Fixtures
The defending champions have a total of three games ahead of them. The fixture list is as follows:
- vs CSK (May 7, Eden Gardens)
- vs SRH (May 10, Hyderabad)
- vs RCB (May 17, Bengaluru)
Qualification Scenarios
- If KKR win all three remaining matches, they will qualify.
Final Points – 17
They likely finish in top four, or in the top two depending on the MI, GT, PBKS results.
- If KKR win two matches but lose one game, they are very likely to qualify.
Final Points – 15
Fixtures that matter to KKR
Delhi Capitals – 12 points (10 matches)
Matches left – 4
- vs SRH (May 5)
- vs PBKS (May 8)
- vs GT (May 11)
- vs MI (May 15)
If they lose two games and finish on the table with 14 or 16 points, then KKR can overtake them by reaching 15+ points.
Punjab Kings – 13 points (10 matches)
Matches left – 4
- vs LSG (May 4)
- vs DC (May 8)
- vs MI (May 11)
- vs RR (May 16)
If they lose two matches and finish with 15 or fewer points, KKR can qualify based on a superior NRR.
Lucknow Super Giants – 10 points (10 matches)
Matches left – 4
- vs PBKS (May 4)
- vs RCB (May 9)
- vs GT (May 14)
- vs SRH (May 18)
LSG can reach a maximum of 18 points, but if they lose two games then they will be stuck at 14 or 16, which will open the option for KKR to qualify.
Must-win matches for KKR
- vs CSK – CSK have already been eliminated, but could spoil the chances for KKR to qualify.
- vs SRH – SRH are currently at six points, but the mid-table clash is very crucial.
- vs RCB – With RCB also under contention for the playoffs, the clash will be a potential knockout game. RCB are the table toppers as of now, and the game will be a decisive one for both teams.
