Their fans might have watched the first innings, but the sheer intent from Wriddhiman Saha and David Warner must have urged them to switch off their TV. Kolkata Knight Riders were always hanging by thread in the race to the playoffs heading into Tuesday, the day of the final league game of IPL 2020. With nothing left in their hand, KKR needed to ensure that Mumbai Indians would beat Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sharjah. But Saha and Warner, after a stellar bowling performance, ensured that Mumbai were kept away from making an impact in the game. SRH won by an emphatic margin of 10 wickets on Tuesday and hence qualified for the playoffs, subsequently knocking out KKR.
With the win, SRH's seventh this season, they acquired the third spot in the final league table and will hence play against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on November 6.
A fortnight back KKR looked all set to play in the playoffs this season, but they incurred a downfall from thereon. They were fifth after October 29 and slipped by a position until they hit rock bottom at the start of their must-win game against Rajasthan Royals in Dubai on Sunday. But an emphatic win by 60 runs helped them climb back to the fourth spot with a playoffs berth in the reckoning.
An evening later, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals ensured their spot in the top four - DC by beating Virat Kohli's men and RCB by virtue of their NRR. This only implied that KKR's fate completed rested on Mumbai India's win against SRH.
SRH, with the win, finished third in the points table, having won three in a row and finishing with seven wins and as many defeats in 14 matches.
This is also for the fifth consecutive season that SRH have reached the playoffs, their first being in 2016, the season they had won.
