KKR Qualification scenario: What Kolkata Knight Riders need to do to reach IPL playoffs?

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be up against the Rajasthan Royals in match 56 of the Indian Premier League 2023 and the match is very crucial for both the teams keeping the playoffs scenario in mind. KKR is currently sitting in sixth place in the IPL 2023 points table and will now have to win their left three matches if they want to make a place in the IPL playoffs. 

The Kolkata Knight Riders started off their Indian Premier League 2023 campaign after a loss against Punjab Kings by seven runs (DLS) in their opening game and then knocked over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next match by 81 runs. The team since then has had a hot and cold campaign in the IPL 2023 and now is at ten points from eleven matches with five wins and six losses. 

IPL playoffs: KKR Qualification Scenario 

The Kolkata Knight Riders are currently placed in the sixth place in the Indian Premier League 2023 points table and have got matches left against Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. The KKR IPL 2023 qualification scenarios are as follows: 

1. Kolkata Knight Riders are left with three matches on IPL 2023 against RR, CSK, and LSG
2. All three matches are against the top-ranked teams and have been in good form till now in the tournament 
3. Out of the three matches, two matches are at their home against Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants
4. The team needs to win all of their three matches if they team wants to keep their fortunes in their hands
5. One loss can rule out the KKR out of the Indian Premier League 2023 and then their chances to qualify for the knockout stage might also become less. 
6. KKR will also have to keep its net run rate in mind as if two teams finish with the same points, it will be the net run rate that will come into play at the qualification stage. 

KKR vs RR IPL 2023: Match Preview 

READ: KKR vs RR Today IPL Match Live Score

Speaking about the KKR vs RR IPL 2023 match, both the teams will be aiming to win the match as the game is very crucial eyeing the Indian Premier League 2023 playoffs scenario in mind. The Knight Riders are coming off wins against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings and would like to continue the momentum ahead of the match against Rajasthan Royals. The Sanju Samson-led side on the other hand would like to get back to winning ways as after a fine start, their campaign is slightly moving off track and they would like to win their match against Kolkata at the Eden Gardens. 

Challenges for Kolkata Knight Riders 

The openers have been one of the biggest problems of the Kolkata Knight Riders and the team has tried different opening pairs like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Narayan Jagadeeshan, Jason Roy, and Mandeep Singh but none of them except Gurbaz and Roy have been able to leave their impact in the tournament and also both the players have also not performed in all the matches. 

Other than this, the team has been highly dependent on players like captain Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine. The bowling lineup has also looked off-color except for the spinners Suyash Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy.