Kolkata Knight Riders’ chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by two wickets. The defeat at the Eden Gardens has seen the three-time champions on the brink of elimination before the Playoffs. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. need a mathematical miracle along with a helping hand to reach the Playoffs.

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KKR need a mathematical miracle

At the time of writing, KKR, with two matches in hand, can reach a maximum of 15 points (if they win), meaning they can no longer finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings. Another defeat for the defending champions will see their elimination get official, while a win will see them stay in the hunt for a Playoff place for another day.

What favour would KKR need?

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Assuming KKR win both their matches, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will drop points as a result. SRH are already out of the Playoff race and RCB are uncatchable since they already are on 16 points. KKR will need Punjab Kings to win all their matches, including beating Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the head-to-head matches.

This means PBKS will finish in the top three, leaving Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow Super Giants scrambling for the fourth place. Since Mumbai and Delhi are facing each other in a head-to-head contest on Thursday (May 15), KKR will need the Capitals to win at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR will also need Lucknow Super Giants to lose at least one of their three matches.

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If the above set of equations are achieved, then KKR and DC will finish on 15 points while Mumbai will end the league phase with 14 points. Lucknow will also end with 14 points or fewer, leaving Delhi and Kolkata scrambling for a place in the Playoffs.

In this case, NRR will play a vital role in sending either team to the IPL 2025 Playoffs. Both KKR and DC have positive run rates and will be largely influenced by the margin of their wins and defeats in the remaining matches.

However, any other set of results will see Kolkata Knight Riders pack their bags early from IPL 2025.