KKR’s Playoff Hopes In Trouble: Anil Kumble Shares His Honest View

Rajgeeta Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are currently having a terrible season in IPL (AP Photos)Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are currently having a terrible season in IPL (AP Photos)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR are having a really tough time in IPL 2025. So far, they have only managed to win three matches, lost five, and one match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) got washed out because of rain. Right now, their chances of making it to the playoffs are hanging by a thread. They need to win all their remaining games to stay in the race. But former India cricketer Anil Kumble feels it’s going to be very difficult.

Anil Kumble pointed out that KKR are still struggling to find their best team combination. On Saturday, April 26, their game against PBKS at Eden Gardens was cancelled because of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Anil Kumble Points Out Major Issues in KKR’s Playoff Chase

Currently, KKR are stuck at 7th place on the points table. To reach the top 4 and qualify for playoffs, they must win all their last five matches. In the match against Punjab Kings, KKR made a few big changes, they brought in Chetan Sakariya and Rovman Powell, replacing Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali. 

But things didn’t go as planned. Sakariya had a tough outing, giving away 39 runs in three overs, and Powell didn’t even get a chance to bat because the match was called off due to rain.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Kumble said,

“No, because they still haven't figured out their best playing eleven. It's not like they've won two games and now just need five more in a row or anything like that. I'm not sure - they made two changes today. Chetan Sakariya came in as a replacement and played his first game. Rovman Powell also made his debut for KKR.”

Kumble also mentioned that now the team should stick with the new players for the upcoming matches.

“So obviously, they'll need to stick with that for now. Although Chetan bowled his overs today, Rovman will have to continue in the next game as well,” Kumble added.

Talking about the match, Sakariya didn’t have a great outing, he bowled three overs but gave away 39 runs without taking a wicket. Rovman Powell didn’t even get to bat because rain stopped the game after just one over in KKR’s innings.

Before rain spoiled the match, PBKS had put up a strong total of 201 for 4. Prabhsimran Singh scored 83 runs and Priyansh Arya made 69. Their solid knocks helped Punjab cross 200. Shreyas Iyer also contributed with a quick 25 runs.

In KKR’s reply, only one over was possible where Sunil Narine hit a boundary, and then rain came pouring in, forcing the match to end early. Both teams shared one point each. 

With this, PBKS moved up to 4th place with 11 points, while KKR stayed at 7th with just 7 points.