Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara expressed skepticism about Kolkata Knight Riders’ prospects of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs following their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Despite setting a competitive total of 192/4, KKR couldn’t contain Virat Kohli, who played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 105 runs off 60 balls to lead RCB to victory.
Pujara noted that KKR now faces a tough road to the knockout stage but emphasized the importance of finishing the season strongly. He mentioned that although playoffs seem unlikely for KKR, there is still pride at stake, and the team aims to end on a positive note after a challenging season.
KKR’s head coach Abhishek Nayar acknowledged the impact of dropping Kohli’s catch, especially given his prowess in chasing targets. Nayar highlighted the missed opportunity and the need to capitalize on such crucial moments against top players like Kohli and Padikkal.
Sunil Gavaskar also underscored the significance of the dropped catch, emphasizing that elite batters like Kohli capitalize on such chances. Gavaskar pointed out the missed opportunity by KKR and how it ultimately affected the outcome of the match, highlighting the importance of not giving exceptional players like Kohli a second chance.
The defeat halted KKR’s four-match unbeaten streak and complicated their path to the playoffs, while RCB reclaimed the top spot in the points table with their eighth win of the season.
