The Kolkata Knight Riders are languishing at seventh place in the IPL 2025 points table: can they still qualify from here?
Two consecutive defeats, against Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans, have brought defending champions KKR to the seventh spot in the IPL 2025 points table. With six points from eight games, they are two clear of Sunrisers Hyderabad (who have a game in hand), Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings.
For perspective, table toppers GT have 12 points – twice of KKR’s – from the same number of games. Delhi Capitals, second on the table, are two points behind GT but have a game in hand.
While these two teams some distance away, KKR are not too far behind the next four teams on the points table.
IPL 2025 points table after KKR vs GT on April 22
What do KKR need to qualify?
Six wins in six games will take KKR to 18 points. Five wins will take them to 16. How good are these numbers?
It is mathematically possible for a team to get 16 points and still not qualify. However, that is a low-probability event, and is yet to happen in the IPL (the only exceptions to this are 2012 and 2013, when each team played 16 games and not 14).
KKR should, thus, be happy with five wins. But what if they win four out of six? The number of instances of teams qualifying with 14 points is not as high. It includes Deccan Chargers (2009), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2010, 2020, 2024), CSK (2014), Rajasthan Royals (2018), and KKR themselves (2021). Additionally, CSK in 2010 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2020 had finished third with 14 points.
What if KKR win three out of six? They may take some hope from the 2019 edition, when SRH qualified with only 12 points.
All is not over, then. A couple of wins will put KKR back on track.
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