Kolkata Knight Riders are ahead of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2021 round-robin league points table. Kolkata Knight Riders resumed their campaign with a thumping win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, moving them into fourth place in the points standings. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals resumed with a narrow victory against Punjab Kings before losing three consecutive matches. Any defeat from this stage onward will be a huge setback for both teams. Let's have a look at who has the best chance of making it to the next round.  

Read: IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match?

IPL 2021 Playoffs Race: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Rajasthan Royals

Kolkata Knight Riders have accumulated 10 points in 11 games. While Rajasthan Royals have 8 points in the same number of matches. Among others, Mumbai Indians have 10 points, but Kolkata have better run rates than Mumbai. On the other hand, Punjab Kings have 8 points, and Sunrisers Hyderabad have only 4.  

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders were behind Rajasthan Royals in the points table before the IPL 2021 resumed in mid-September in UAE. However, they made an encouraging start in the UAE phase, winning three of their past four league games. They are now in fourth place, ahead of the defending champion Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

Kolkata defeated Bangalore by a crushing 9-wicket margin on September 20. They defeated Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets on September 23. However, they were defeated by Chennai Super Kings by a mere 2-wicket margin on September 26. Kolkata fought back strong against Delhi Capitals, winning by three wickets on Tuesday (September 28).

Read:IPL 2021: Scenarios of Playoffs Qualification for Eight Teams

Kolkata's current team combination has looked solid, and they are on track to maintain their domination over their opponents. Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has yet to play a match in the UAE phase, and he is unlikely to do so before the end of the round-robin league.

So far, Rahul Tripathi has scored the most runs (315 in 10 innings) for Kolkata with a strike rate of 144.49. On the other hand, Prasidh Krishna has 12 wickets in 10 innings at a strike rate of 19.2 for the Knight Riders.

Kolkata Knight Rider’s remaining fixtures:

01/10/2021: Punjab Kings (at Dubai)

03/10/2021: Sunrisers Hyderabad (at Dubai)

07/10/2021: Rajasthan Royals (at Sharjah)

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals were in a strong position in the IPL 2021 points standings before the competition resumed in the United Arab Emirates. Rajasthan won their first match in Dubai but then lost their next three matches. Rajasthan Royals have slipped to second-bottom position, just ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rajasthan defeated Punjab Kings by a narrow 2-run margin on September 21. In the following matches, they were defeated by Delhi Capitals by 33 runs, Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets, and Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets.

Read: Kohli to step down from Bangalore captaincy after IPL season

Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman has been one of the team's most important players, and he has excelled in his role. Though Rajasthan Royals have slipped from the winning momentum, now they are struggling to regain it. Rajasthan must start winning from their next match if they want to qualify for the Playoffs.

With a spectacular 452 runs in 11 innings, - at a strike rate of 141.25- Captain Sanju Samson has contributed the most runs for Rajasthan, so far. On the other hand, Chris Morris has bagged 14 wickets in 10 innings for the Royals with a strike rate of 15.8. The cutter master Mustafizur Rahman has snatched 13 wickets in 11 innings at a strike rate of 19.1.

Rajasthan Royals remaining fixtures:

02/10/2021: Chennai Super Kings (at Abu Dhabi)

05/10/2021: Mumbai Indians (at Sharjah)

07/10/2021: Kolkata Knight Riders (at Sharjah)

Read:Mustafizur departs for Dubai to play IPL

Verdict

As per the current scenario, Kolkata Knight Riders will qualify for the playoffs if they win their remaining games. In case of Rajasthan Royals, winning their remaining matches won’t be good enough. They also have to rely on the outcomes of other fixtures in this round. Both teams will meet in their respective final league stage fixtures, which is an interesting twist. The match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajasthan Royals will take place in Sharjah on October 7 (Thursday). This could be a do-or-die contest for both teams.