IPL Playoff Picture After MI vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders Secure 2nd Spot, Mumbai Indians Lag Behind at 9th

Kolkata Knight Riders managed to bounce back with a win against Mumbai Indians, breaking a 12-year curse with an emphatic 24-run win at the Wankhede Stadium. With the bat, Venkatesh Iyer pulled off a heroic innings, saving KKR from adversity as they were down five batsmen in the first seven overs. He was supported by impact substitute, Manish Pandey and the duo rebuilt the innings to set a target of 170 runs.

In the second innings, Mitchell Starc showed his class and experience at the highest level and finished as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/33 in 3.5 overs. With the match going to the final over, the Australian took three wickets in his final over to end the game in quick fashion. The win is crucial for the two-time title winners as they sit second in the points table. With a two-point gap and a significantly better net run rate to keep them comfortably second-best in the league stage.

Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, may be languishing at the bottom of the table but their best net run-rate has them yet to play their 11th game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. If the latter wins, it will mean MI will be at the bottom of the table which is a new low for the five-time champions. With this defeat, the season of Mumbai Indians is over. They now have practically no chance of making the playoffs with just three more fixtures left in the season. However, they will look to finish the season on a high and potentially on a positive note.