KKR's Winless Streak Continues, Can Ajinkya Rahane & Co. Qualify For IPL 2026 Playoffs Amid Ongoing Slump?

IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) suffered a five-wicket defeat to Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 25th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, April 17.

With this loss, KKR’s winless streak in the ongoing IPL 2026 continued. The franchise currently sits at the bottom of the table with just one point and a net run rate of -1.149.

Although KKR have failed to secure a victory in their first six matches of IPL 2026, they still have a mathematical chance of qualifying for the playoffs. However, the road ahead will be extremely challenging.

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Can KKR Still Qualify For IPL 2026? Check Details

Here’s how KKR can still qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs despite their poor start.

With eight matches remaining, winning all of them would take KKR to 17 points, a tally that should guarantee qualification. Even with one defeat, the Knights could still finish in the top four with 15 points.

If they lose two of their remaining fixtures and win the rest, they would end up with 13 points, leaving their playoff hopes dependent on other teams’ results.

So far, KKR’s only point came against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 6, when their match at Eden Gardens was washed out due to heavy rain.

KKR will next face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 28 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, April 19.

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Shubman Gill Shines As GT Beat KKR In IPL 2026

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill was named Player of the Match for his blistering 86-run knock off 50 balls at a strike rate of 172.00, which included eight fours and four sixes.

With this victory, GT climbed to fourth place in the IPL 2026 standings with six points and a net run rate of +0.018.

The Titans will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in their next fixture on April 20 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.