India, May 25 -- For a team that never truly controlled its own destiny, it wasn't surprising that the Kolkata Knight Riders' fate was sealed elsewhere before they even walked out to bat, as results in another city decided what was possible and... what wasn't. That, in many ways, summed up their season - a campaign shaped by events beyond their control.

Mustafizur Rahman became unavailable after a diplomatic standoff between India and Bangladesh spilled over to the cricket field. Matheesha Pathirana was trapped in a clearance and NOC deadlock in Sri Lanka. Harshit Rana suffered a knee injury before momentum could build. Meanwhile, workload management decisions in Australia affected how KKR could use Cameron Green. Individually, these wer...