What ‘Qualification for the playoffs’ will be at stake when the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders faceoff in Match 54 of Pepsi IPL 2015. RR have lost plenty of ground since being table-toppers in the first few weeks of the tournament. Since winning their first five matches, RR have only managed one win in their next eight matches (which includes two washed out matches). They are now faced with a do-or-die situation; nothing less than a win can take them to the Playoffs The Kolkata Knight Riders have 15 points from 13 matches. They had a very good opportunity of confirming their passage to the Playoffs when they took on the Mumbai Indians in their most recent match, but let slip that chance after they failed to score 12 runs in the final over in their chase of 172. Unlike their opponents, the equation for KKR is simple – a win in this match will certainly seal a berth in the Playoffs, while a defeat will leave their chances of progressing in the hands of other teams. When 16 May 2015, 8p.m. IST Where Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai The Protagonists Ajinkya Rahane has dropped to second in the list of top run-getters this season; the RR opener will be keen to get among the runs and reclaim the Orange Cap. If he is able to accomplish that, RR will definitely find themselves in a very good position. The team will also be keen for the other two big guns – Shane Watson and skipper Steve Smith – to pull their weight and contribute big runs. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa have been the pillars of many KKR victories. They will be expected to stick to their roles and bat into the depth of the innings. Yusuf Pathan – in version 2.0 – has made many vital contributions to the defending champions; the 32-year old has expressed that he is making conscious efforts to start slow, get his eye in and consolidate, before opening up his broad shoulders. The pitch at the Brabourne Stadium might not provide the KKR spinners as much support as the one at the Eden Gardens does, and hence the onus will be on Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav and Andre Russell to strike early and give the spin bowlers a chance to tie up things. Previous Meetings The Rajasthan Royals have a 8-6 win-loss record from 15 IPL matches against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The most-recent fixture between the two teams – scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens on 26 April 2015 – was washed out by rains. Both these teams have been involved in two ‘tied’ matches, which had to be settled by means of a Super Over. On the first occasion, in Cape Town in 2009, Yusuf Pathan hit Ajantha Mendis for 6, 2, 6 & 4 as RR chased down a target of 16 to win the Super Over. In the second Super Over, in Abu Dhabi last season, after the two teams finished the Super Over with the same number of runs – 11 runs – RR were declared winners by virtue of boundary count. Trivia In the 14 matches between the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, the latter have had the opportunity of batting first only once. In the two matches played at the Brabourne Stadium this season, the team batting first has posted scores of 189-2 (RR v DD) & 201-4 (SRH v RR). What Next The Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders complete their league stage fixtures of Pepsi IPL 2015. Where they go from here depends on the outcome of this match and how the points table shapes up at the end of the league stage. Whichever team finds itself in the top two places at the end of the league stage will compete in the first of the Playoff matches – Qualifier 1 – at the Wankhede Stadium on May 19. Whichever team finishes third or fourth in the standings will compete in the second of the Playoff matches – Eliminator – in Pune on May 20.