KKR beat MI by four wickets to keep their IPL 2026 playoffs hope alive
Kolkata must hope that RR lose their final league game
KKR must also win their final league match to stay in contention
IPL 2026 Updated Points Table: Kolkata Knight Riders' Playoffs Hope Alive After Victory Over Mumbai Indians
IPL 2026 Points Table after Match 65: RCB, SRH and GT are through to the play-offs, but KKR must hope that PBKS lose their next game and must win their final league game against DC to stay in contention
Summary
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by four wickets to keep their slim hopes alive of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs. The win lifted KKR in the points table whereas MI, who are already out of the playoffs contention, faced yet another defeat this season.
Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and sent MI into bat first, and his bowlers did a fine job of restricting Hardik Pandya-led MI to 147/8 in 20 overs. Saurabh Dubey and Cameron Green put in the hard yards, as MI's batting woes continued.
During KKR's chase, the home team struggled to get a grip on the match but Manish Pandey (45) and Rovman Powell (45) made sure they reached the target in 18.5 overs. Pandey earned the POTM honours for his match-winning knock of 44 off 33 balls.
IPL 2026 Points Table after KKR vs MI
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Loss | NR | NRR | Points |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Q) | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1.065 | 18 |
| 2 | Gujarat Titans (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0.4 | 16 |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0.35 | 16 |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0.083 | 14 |
| 5 | Punjab Kings | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0.227 | 13 |
| 6 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0.011 | 13 |
| 7 | Chennai Super Kings | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | -0.016 | 12 |
| 8 | Delhi Capitals | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | -0.871 | 12 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (E) | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | -0.51 | 8 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants (E) | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | -0.702 | 8 |
RCB, GT and SRH through to the playoffs with the fourth spot still up for grabs. With their win over MI, KKR have now climbed to the sixth spot and are level on points with Punjab Kings. However, PBKS have a better NRR (0.227). Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals are also in the mix for the final playoff spot.
ALSO READ | KKR vs MI, IPL 2026 Highlights
How Can KKR Seal Playoff Spot?
Kolkata Knight Riders sit on 13 points from 13 games, tied with Punjab Kings but are sixth on the standings with a net run rate of +0.011. The two-time champions have one final league match remaining, and must win that and hope other results go their way.
PBKS' better NRR means KKR will need to boost their NRR in their final league match to stay in touch. Knight Riders must also hope that Rajasthan Royals lose their final league game to Mumbai Indians in order to qualify for the playoffs.
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