League restarts with a washout, sends Knights out of contention

Their fate out of their hands for some time, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were eliminated from IPL 2025 when rain washed out their must-win match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru on Saturday.

- Dhiman Sarkar

KOLKATA:

It was the second time that KKR were dealt a cruel hand by the weather, the first being the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens that was abandoned halfway due to rain and storm.

That no result, following successive defeats, meant KKR had to win their remaining matches and hope for a string of results to go their way. For all the positivity skipper Ajinkya Rahane exuded after snatching defeat from victory against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), it would always prove to be a bit much. Especially in a format where matches turn in one over, think KKR-CSK.

There is usually more than one reason why performance does not meet potential in a league. Arsenal did not lose the Premier League only because of injuries to key players. But it also showed that the squad lacked depth and that was on the club. That Arsenal failed to win 10 matches where they led is on the manager and the players. That they played six matches with 10 players is also down to the conduct of their players.