Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir insisted the defending IPL champions still hold a pretty decent chance of qualifying for the playoffs. KKR will take on RCB at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi in a must-win IPL 2013 encounter.
KKR are currently in seventh place with five wins and eight losses, while RCB are fourth with eight wins in 13 games. If RCB win on Sunday, then KKR's chances of retaining their IPL title will vanish without a trace.
Even if they get the better of RCB on Sunday, and the Bangalore side or the Sunrisers Hyderabad win any of their remaining games, it will still be curtains for KKR, but Gambhir is confident of his side sneaking into the playoffs.
"At the moment, the competition is pretty open," Gambhir told reporters. "We still have a fair chance of reaching the playoffs. For me what matters is the remaining three games and we face RCB on Sunday, which is a must-win game for us. Hopefully we can try and deliver. "
KKR's batting has been the main reason for their struggles this year, but Gambhir is hopeful of his batsmen coming together and putting on a good show.
"We have been consistent in patches through the tournament," Gambhir added. "There have been times when the batting has clicked and the bowling has not complemented it and vice-versa. We need to click as a collective unit, something that we did in the previous game. Hopefully we are professional in our batting, bowling and fielding when we play RCB.
"We will try and win the win game on Sunday. Be it any situation, we as a team, enter the ground thinking about a victory. We do not play to participate. We will look to play some good cricket and get a win."
Gambhir also said he is looking forward to playing in front of the Ranchi crowd, the stadium where KKR will play their final couple of home games. "I feel Ranchi is one of the best grounds in India, in terms of the facilities and other aspects of the ground," he said. "Hope we get the same amount of support like we get back home at the Eden Gardens. The crowd in Kolkata has been fantastic with their support and hopefully we get the same kind of support in Ranchi as well."
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