Kolkata have been topsy-turvy in the Indian T20 League 2022 so far. Despite having a great start to the edition, they somehow tapered off. As a matter of fact, they had lost five consecutive games as well. After beating Rajasthan in their tenth game of this season, they then lost to Lucknow by 75 runs.
Nevertheless, their recent 52-run win over Mumbai came as a huge sigh of relief for the Shreyas Iyer-led side. Despite the odds being stacked against them, they still stand a chance to make it to the playoffs. The dynamics of the cash-rich league mean that Kolkata are still alive in the tournament. So what do they exactly need to do to make it to the playoffs?
First things first, the two-time champions need to win their remaining two games. By doing so, they get to 14 points. However, that isn't going to be enough as Kolkata need some of the results to go their way. Thus, their fate depends upon the other teams. However, they can further solidify their chances of making it to the playoffs if they win their remaining games with a huge margin.
It is to e noted that the Kolkata-based franchise currently have a Net Run-Rate (NRR) of -304. Having said that, it isn't going to be easy as their last two games of the group stage are against Hyderabad and Lucknow. Besides, the KL Rahul-led side are currently placed at the top of the table, and have been sensational, to say the least.
In the meanwhile, here are how the results of the upcoming games need to pan out for Kolkata to stand a chance of making it to the top four:
Lucknow vs Gujarat (Any result)
Rajasthan beat Delhi
Mumbai beat Chennai
Punjab beat Bangalore
Kolkata beat Hyderabad
Chennai vs Gujarat (Any result)
Lucknow vs Rajasthan (Any result)
Delhi beat Punjab
Mumbai beat Hyderabad
Kolkata beat Lucknow
Gujarat beat Bangalore
Chennai beat Rajasthan
Mumbai beat Delhi
Hyderabad beat Punjab
If the match results turn out to be like this, then Bangalore and Kolkata would be tied at 14 points. Thus, the side with a better net run-rate will make it to the playoffs.