Kolkata must win by big margin vs DC and need RR to lose

KKR’s Qualification Equation Must win vs DC – a loss eliminates them immediately. Must have RR lose to MI – If RR beat MI, they reach 16 points and KKR are out regardless. PBKS factor: If PBKS beat LSG on Saturday, then KKR + PBKS both finish on 15 points. Goes to NRR. Horror start: 0 wins in first 5, then 1-5 after 6 games. NRR -1.315. Comeback: Won 6 of last 7 games. Recent: 4-wicket win vs MI on Wednesday kept them alive. Captain Rahane: “Nothing to lose… play with freedom” NRR fight: If RR lose, PBKS win, KKR win → all on 15. KKR must beat PBKS’s +0.227 NRR with a huge margin. Dead end: If RR beat MI, KKR are eliminated before they even play DC. KKR have not become a perfect team overnight. Still, their crucial players have surged into form: Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi and Green form the core of an effective bowling attack. Meanwhile, Manish Pandey's winning knock - a 33-ball 45, against Mumbai Indians - proved the depth of their batting, making up for their relatively low strike-rate ceiling. They now head into the final double-header game of this season with a slim chance to sneak into the playoffs, as its fourth and final team. As PBKS beat LSG on Saturday night, KKR will now hope Rajasthan Royals lose the afternoon game on Sunday, otherwise it's all over for KKR. Not just that, KKR will then need a massive win, too. If they bat first and score, say, 200, they will need to win by 77 runs. And if KKR chase a total around 180, they will need to get there in 12 to 12.4 overs. RR: Control destiny – beat MI = in at 16 pts. PBKS: Need win vs LSG + RR loss + better NRR than KKR. DC: “Hanging by a thread”, -0.871 NRR, need miracle. The game will be played on pitch No. 5 at Eden Gardens, under the lights: a recipe for high-scoring encounters. In the only match played this season on this pitch, KKR raced away to 226 for 8, before dismissing SRH for 161 all out. Spin might be key for either team: in the past two IPL years, spinners have been more economical (9.16) compared to fast bowlers (10.78). The weather will also be a huge challenge for both sides. The temperature is expected to hover in the mid-30s Celsius, but 68% humidity will make it feel a lot hotter in Kolkata. Bottom line: KKR need help from MI to beat RR, and either LSG to beat PBKS or they need to thrash DC by 60-80 runs. After a disastrous start, Ajinkya Rahane’s side turned it around but still need a “massive win” plus favours to sneak in. In his first six games, Varun was at an all-time IPL low: he was bowling at an economy of 10.7 and a strike rate of 39. In his last six matches, those figures have come down to 8.6 and 24 respectively. Once again, he has turned into a lethal threat through the middle overs, honing in good length deliveries and picking up six wickets in his past six games.