Last year’s finalists Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been dealt with another big blow as one of their opening batters has been ruled out of IPL 2022 with an injury. Ajinkya Rahane who was among the top choices for the opening slot, will not take any further part in the 15th edition of the Indian T20 League.
According to reports, Rahane has suffered a Grade III hamstring injury which he sustained during his team’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday (14 May). Notably, Rahane looked in pain while he was batting in the first innings and also had to be attended by the physio on the field. The 33-year-old also left KKR’s team bubble on Monday.
With one league game still left for KKR and a playoff berth at stake, the two-time champions will badly miss the services of Rahane who looked good in the last two games after making a comeback in the side.
KKR Playoff hopes hang by a thread
After registering a thumping win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game, Kolkata Knight Riders have kept their playoff hopes alive. But they will have to rely on the results of other matches as well. The Shreyas Iyer led team sits at the sixth position with 12 points in 13 games. In order to qualify for the Playoff, KKR will have to win their next game against Lucknow.
Apart from their own result, they also need Punjab, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Hyderabad to lose. While Bangalore needs to lose their next game against Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi, and Hyderabad should lose at least one of their next two games. Nonetheless, if KKR fail to qualify, they will have themselves to blame.
After starting the tournament on a high, the Shreyas Iyer-led side fumbled big time. They lost five games on the trot to put themselves in a helpless situation.