Kolkata Knight Riders stand on the brink of elimination from Indian Premier League after the loss to Chennai Super Kings but captain Ajinkya Rahane remains hopeful.
With just two matches remaining, the maximum KKR can finish with is 15 points while a safe number for play-off qualification is 18.
"I think on 15 points, we can still qualify. We still got to think positive. We have two games left, one against Hyderabad and then Bangalore," Rahane said at the post-match press conference on Wednesday.
"So as a team, we have to be positive, think about how can we win the next two games. We are playing very good cricket."
"Last three games were really good. This one didn't go to our plan, but again, as a team, we are coming back.
KKR’s qualification hopes would also depend on Mumbai Indians losing both their remaining matches to stay on 14 points.
Since one of MI’s fixtures is against Delhi Capitals (currently on 13), that result would lift DC to 15 as well, setting up a potential Net Run Rate battle for the final playoff spot between KKR and DC.
An alternative scenario could see Punjab Kings losing all three of their remaining games.
In that case, MI could move beyond 15, while DC, PBKS, and KKR could all finish on 15, leading to a three-way NRR showdown.
KKR’s bowlers had CSK struggling at 60/5 in the powerplay on a turning Eden pitch, but they could not bundle them out.
Backing the bowling unit Rahane felt they weren’t at fault and believed they were short by about 15 runs with the bat.
"Dube and Dewald (Brevis) they were brave, they took their chances and that paid off.
"I thought we still came back into the game really well. We picked up five wickets initially and they had a very good partnership. But after that, we knew that couple of wickets, we can still come back into the game and that was the plan.
"As a bowling unit, we did that pretty well. Six balls, eight runs, MS Dhoni in strike, it's tough sometimes, you know. He can hit a good ball for a six and that's what happened. Dre (Andre Russell) tried the yorker, it was a pretty good ball but went for a six," he said about the last-over.
