2 min readMay 9, 2026 02:10 PM IST
Kolkata Knight Riders are surging mid-season after starting the campaign poorly. They have won four in a row and have an advantage of an extra point because rain affected the match against the Punjab Kings earlier in the tournament. If they win all their remaining games, they will reach 17 points, giving them a clear advantage.
Ajinkya Rahane’s side will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are in shaky territory after losing two in a row. Intriguingly, the game is in Raipur.
“Their match against RCB is in Raipur. Raipur is an away ground even for RCB. I think RCB are the most balanced side in the tournament, but they have lost two consecutive games. So their form has wavered a little. I think, among the remaining games, that will be the most difficult to win, because those conditions might not suit them,” Aakash Chopra observed on his YouTube channel.
M. Chinnaswamy has hosted RCB since the IPL’s inception in 2008, but this season, five games are held in Bengaluru and the remainder in Raipur. RCB will face the Mumbai Indians in Raipur first and then KKR later in the week.
KKR on Friday beat Delhi Capitals in Delhi to continue their winning streak. Chasing 143 runs, Finn Allen blitzed with a ton, and KKR completed their innings in just 14.2 overs, giving them a huge boost to their Net Run Rate.
“If they win all four games, they will reach 17 points. With 17 points, I don’t even think the net run rate story would come in this. I don’t think they will get stuck there. They need to win four games because the qualification might not happen at 15. If the percentage chances of their qualification had been asked last month, it would have been close to zero. It has jumped to 14 per cent now,” Chopra said.
