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It was not a high scoring match, but there was definitely a fierce competition between bat and ball. Mumbai Indians (MI) are already out of the race for IPL 2026, while Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain in the title race by balancing on a thin rope. To maintain the balance they needed to register a win against Mumbai Indians tonight.
Before the match, Ajinkya Rahane’s team was at number 8.th Finishing with 11 points in 12 games and a net run rate of -0.038. The top three teams in the IPL 2026 points table, which are Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, have already booked their places in the play-offs with 16 points or more.
Can KKR make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs?
Traditionally, 16 points prove to be enough to make it to the next round. There is no way the three-time champions will be able to reach the 16-point mark. The maximum they could score was 15 marks.
With 2 more points from tonight’s match, the Knights can still dream of fourth place in the points table. Kolkata’s next match will be against Delhi Capitals on May 24, this is another must-win situation. If KKR wins that too then the equation can be decided on the basis of net run rate. Also, KKR wants Rajasthan Royals to lose their last league match.
Bowlers performed well in both innings of KKR vs MI match
Tonight, Eden Gardens witnessed an equally balanced contest between the bowlers and batsmen of both the teams. The pitch was not a paradise for the batsmen. Before the match, rain in the City of Joy made the conditions more challenging for the batsmen.
There was also a thin layer of grass on the pitch. The match once again had to be stopped due to rain in the middle stage of the first innings. The bowlers of both the teams enjoyed this rain-affected match from beginning to end.
Mumbai Indians were in deep trouble as they kept losing wickets at short intervals. The innings of captain Hardik Pandya and Corbyn Bosch helped the team score a total of 147 runs in the 20 overs limit, which was not bad considering the pitch and weather conditions.
Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell kept KKR on the line
The Knights were also not in a comfortable position as their openers Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane were out inside the power play. Cameron Green was also out cheaply. After playing explosive innings with the bat, Corbin Bosch was doing wonders on the field with the ball as well.
The experienced batting pair of Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell maintained their composure and performed as per the demand. Manish scored 45 runs from 33, Rovman scored 40 runs from 33.
The match once again got thrilling as Mumbai Indians took the wickets of well-set KKR batsmen. In three balls, MI dismissed Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell. Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s name was in the list, but he was uncertain due to injury.
The in-form Kolkata Knight Riders batsman injured his finger while keeping wickets in the first innings. They didn’t need to come out to bat as Rinku Singh and Tejasvi Singh Dahiya wrapped things up nicely for the Purple and Gold and kept the hopes alive.
Read more: Sunil Narine’s magic during KKR vs MI match, Hardik Pandya didn’t realize it