Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane messaging after Friday’s defeat to Gujarat Titans wasn’t laced with panic, but carried the tone of a side running out of road. “It’s about accepting and embracing these tough days. Every day is a new day… trying to do better, playing with freedom, and backing each other,” Rahane was philosophical after the five-wicket loss in Ahmedabad.
Here’s the reality though. After five losses in six matches—one was abandoned due to rain—Sunday’s tie against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens is no longer just another league fixture. It is, for all practical purposes, an elimination match.
Another defeat and the mathematics become unforgiving. Even a win might not guarantee control. This is the uncomfortable middle ground KKR find themselves in—still alive, but only just. Rahane, however, tried to keep his chin up. “We’re thinking one game at a time. It’s tough when you lose games, but everyone is trying their best. No one wants to lose any match—we all want to win—but that’s what sport is all about… keep your heads up. For us, it’s about going out there, being positive, and playing with freedom. We’ve got nothing to lose,” he said.
However, KKR have everything to lose. At least seven wins are needed to stay in contention for the top four, which means KKR cannot afford to lose any of their eight matches left. Looking at how clueless they have been though, it’s difficult to see KKR finish in the top four from here.
And this has everything to do with how they have operated, from the toss to the batting and bowling deficiencies.
On Friday, for the fourth time in six matches Rahane won the toss, but his decision to bat on a ground where the onset of dew would have made chasing easier puzzled everyone. Switching Finn Allen for Tim Seifert was a decision that was expected. But the thinking behind not opening with Sunil Narine when there was no scoreboard pressure was confounding.
Rahane didn’t last even an over on Friday, departing to a nothing shot. And when Narine came, KKR desperately needed Cameron Green to take strike. But Narine did the opposite, trying to take a predictable swipe at the three remaining deliveries from Ashok Sharma, and not connecting even once. Wouldn’t it have been more prudent to send Narine at the top with that kind of licence and keep Rahane for the middle overs where he could have farmed the strike and ensured Green got more strike?
Equally puzzling was the case of Rinku Singh. He has perfected the role of a finisher but there have been calls to try him higher in the batting order. Rinku however wasn’t able to embrace that change in the matches against CSK and LSG, where he scored 4 and 6 coming at No.5. This time he came behind Anukul Roy at No.7 in the 15th over and still lasted just two balls.
KKR’s innings never quite broke free, not only due to collapses, but through inertia. That kind of drift is harder to fix than a top-order implosion because it lacks a single point of failure. It requires intent recalibration: better strike rotation, sharper match-ups, and a willingness to target specific overs rather than waiting passively for the death. Green not being able to cleverly switch to a higher gear after reaching his first fifty this season underscored this glaring gap. What needs urgent reset here is role clarity. Someone must anchor, someone must disrupt, and someone must finish. KKR have too many players confused about their roles right now.
The only front where KKR haven’t been overwhelmed is their bowling. This despite Varun Chakravarthy’s woeful form. At one point, GT looked set to win the match in 17 overs. Stretching it to the last over, KKR at least ensured it wasn’t a walkover. Which, considering they don’t have Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana, is a small win alright.
“The guys who are bowling in the Powerplay are inexperienced. That’s the truth. That’s the honest truth,” said Rahane. But in a season where everything could go wrong, KKR have now arrived at the point of no return, knowing there’s no option but to win.
Sunday’s match against Rajasthan Royals isn’t officially a knockout, but it carries all the weight of one. For KKR, the equation is stark: reset now or start planning for the next season.