Kolkata Knight Riders have turned a dismal start into an unlikely charge. After five defeats and a wash-out in their first six fixtures, the side looked marooned on one point. Four straight victories later, the table suddenly feels a great deal more welcoming.
Deep Dasgupta summed up the shift in mood on TimeOut, declaring, “it is on” when asked if KKR could still reach the knock-outs. He credits the turnaround to improved form from the two main spinners. “A lot of these pitches or venues which have been used so far are getting a little tired, where the spinners’ role become that much more important,” he noted. Varun Chakravarthy had struggled early on, but with Sunil Narine he now controls eight key overs. Dasgupta added that KKR are built for the back half of an IPL season: slow tracks, plenty of spin, lower totals—conditions that suit their attack.
Results support that view. Friday’s win over Delhi Capitals owed plenty to Finn Allen’s 74 and a calm, unbeaten 33 from Cameron Green. The towering Australian bowled one over for a wicket and then shared a run-a-ball stand that shut DC out of the contest. Afterwards he said, “Yeah, I think our team was probably just finding the right combination and where guys should bat to best suit the team. So I think we obviously took a few games to work that out. I think we’ve got to a really good place now.”
The schedule helps. Next up is Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur—a nominal home game for RCB, yet the ground has not staged IPL cricket for a decade and feels neutral at best. Three fixtures at Eden Gardens follow, against Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians and Delhi again. Former New Zealand quick Mitchell McClenaghan believes the immediate assignments are decisive. “Those next two games are the most important out there,” he said. “You have RCB and you have GT. So those two are going to be critical because those are the other teams that are realistically in the running, and if you can get above them and if you see Punjab continue to slide and…”
McClenaghan was also impressed by Allen’s progress against slow bowling—a weakness early in his career. Dasgupta echoed the praise, remarking that the New Zealander’s footwork against spin “was great to see”, an area KKR had prioritised in training.
From the outside, six winless outings suggested a dressing-room short on ideas, but Green rejects that view. “I didn’t think the belief was ever gone. We’ve had like a really good culture this whole tournament, even before we won a game,” he insisted. “It hasn’t felt like we’ve lost every game by how upbeat everyone’s been. I think that’s just a credit to the players and the support staff for keeping the vibes high, because obviously it’s a really big comp and it means a lot to us.”
Analysis
• Spin squeeze: Chakravarthy’s economy has dropped from 9.4 in the opening block to 6.8 across the last four matches. Narine’s numbers remain steady, giving the pair a combined stranglehold.
• Powerplay clarity: Allen’s aggressive brief allows Venkatesh Iyer to settle, while Shreyas Iyer anchors. Boundaries up front have masked a still-shaky middle order.
• Points maths: 14 often secures fourth place, though net run rate can complicate matters. Two wins from four might be enough; three would remove doubt.
Room for caution remains. KKR’s batting underneath the top five is untested in tight chases, and the side concede heavily at the death on flat surfaces. Yet momentum, surfaces and a forgiving run-in offer a genuine path.
Nothing is guaranteed, but for the first time all season Knight Riders control their fate. Win in Raipur, and the conversation shifts from possibility to probability. Lose, and the climb steepens again—typical IPL jeopardy, but after a fortnight of positive signs, no one in purple is writing off 2026 just yet.
