Samira Vishwas
Tezzbuzz|16-05-2026
The race for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League 2026 has heated up nicely, with no team yet having officially secured qualification in the tournament so far. Barely alive in the top-four race, Kolkata Knight Riders are in action against Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans in Match No. 60 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
KKR VS GT IPL 2026 LIVE UPDATES
Having gone winless in their first six games of IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane’s KKR experienced a change in fortunes by winning four consecutive matches to stay mathematically alive in the race for the top four. However, following a six-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur, KKR find themselves in concerning territory again. The side now needs to win its last three games, which would take them to 15 points, not enough for direct qualification but sufficient to give them an outside shot at the top four.
Here’s a look at KKR’s remaining fixtures and their qualification scenario:
Remaining fixtures for KKR:
Having lost six of the 11 matches they have played thus far, Kolkata’s fate is not entirely in their hands. They need to first ensure they win all of their remaining matches in IPL 2026, and a lot of results must go their way for them to qualify for the knockouts.
Best-case scenario — KKR beat GT, MI & DC to reach 15 points
If Kolkata beat Gujarat, Mumbai, and Delhi to win all their remaining games, this will take them to a maximum of 15 points. With Gujarat and Royal Challengers Bengaluru already on 16 points, they will always remain ahead of Kolkata. In this scenario, KKR’s fight for the third or fourth spot will be against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings.
Now, if each of SRH, PBKS, RR, and CSK can finish with 16 points at the same time, this will mean Kolkata cannot finish above seventh place. For the two-time champions KKR to ensure qualification, they need three of SRH, PBKS, RR, and CSK to win no more than one of their remaining games. This would prevent those teams from reaching 16 points, allowing KKR to finish ahead of them in the top four.
Worst-case scenario — KKR lose one game and could only reach 13 points
Practically very difficult, but mathematically still possible, KKR could qualify with just 13 points. For this to happen, one of KKR’s two wins in their last three games should come against DC, which will stop Delhi Capitals from reaching 14 points. Additionally, PBKS, RR, and CSK need to lose all of their remaining games, which would limit them to 13, 12, and 12 points, respectively. In this scenario, KKR and PBKS would tie on 13 points, and if Ajinkya Rahane’s side manages to secure a better net run rate, they would qualify for fourth place with 13 points.
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IPL 2026 Points Table
| POS | TEAM | PL | W | L | NR | NRR | PTS |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1.053 | 16 |
| 2 | Gujarat Titans | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0.551 | 16 |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0.331 | 14 |
| 4 | Punjab Kings | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.355 | 13 |
| 5 | Rajasthan Royals | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.082 | 12 |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.027 | 12 |
| 7 | Delhi Capitals | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | -0.993 | 10 |
| 8 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | -0.169 | 9 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | -0.504 | 8 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | -0.701 | 8 |
(Table updated after LSG vs CSK IPL 2026 Match No. 59)
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