IPL playoff scenarios: KKR's faint qualification chances improve to 7.1 per cent after clinical victory over GT

Kolkata Knight Riders kept their faint hopes of reaching the Indian Premier League playoffs alive after inflicting a 29-run loss on Gujarat Titans in Kolkata on Saturday. KKR and Delhi Capitals had the lowest chances of finishing among the top-four at the end of the league stage heading into Saturday's fixture at the Eden Gardens, and a defeat would have practically ended Kolkata's campaign.

The Knight Riders, however, flexed their batting muscle after being asked to bat by the Titans, posting a daunting 247/2 on the board – their highest score of the season so far – thanks to fiery half-centuries from Finn Allen (93), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82 not out) and Cameron Green (52 not out).

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West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine later proved to be the difference between the two sides, finishing with outstanding figures of 2/29 in a match that witnessed 465 runs being scored across both innings. The veteran performance, which earned him the Player of the Match award, helped KKR restrict GT to 218/4 in reply, resulting in Titans captain Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 going in vain.

GT could have become the first team to officially qualify for the playoffs on Saturday and displace defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru from the top spot. The 2022 IPL champions are virtually assured of a place in the playoffs with 16 points to their name, but will have to wait until their final league game against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday to find out whether they finish among the top-two or not.

KKR, meanwhile, move to the seventh spot on the points table, leapfrogging DC, and Ajinkya Rahane's men will be backing themselves to finish even higher by the time the league stage comes to an end on 24 May, possibly even among the top-four.

IPL 2026 points table

IPL playoffs: Qualification probability for all teams

GT had the highest chances of qualifying for the playoffs heading into Saturday's match in the 'City of Joy' despite defending champions RCB having the better Net Run Rate of the two teams.

And after their defeat against KKR, RCB has once again overtaken GT as far as probability of reaching the playoffs is concerned, with Bengaluru having a 96.5 per cent chance compared to 96 per cent for Gujarat.

These two teams, however, are virtually qualified for the next round, and what matters is the other two teams that will be joining them in the next round. KKR had a slim 2.6 per cent chance of reaching the next round till Thursday, which improved to 3.6 per cent following Lucknow Super Giants' comprehensive home win against Chennai Super Kings.

And with their clinical performance against the Titans, their probability of reaching the playoffs has improved to 7.1 per cent. At the same time, KKR's victory over GT has slightly reduced the playoff chances of Rajasthan Royals (51.6 per cent to 51.2 per cent), Punjab Kings (48.8 per cent to 47.4 per cent) and CSK (28.4 per cent to 28 per cent).

DC's probability remains unaffected at 3.1 per cent while Sunrisers Hyderabad, currently third on the table, are the only team other than RCB to gain from KKR's triumph, with their chances improving to 70.8 per cent from 70.3.