Abu Dhabi, Oct 31 (IANS): Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) captain KL Rahul said on Friday that the onset of dew during the second innings of their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) went a long way in them losing the match by seven wickets.

XIP had a total of 185/4 on board but RR chased it down with nearly three overs to spare.

"It was a horrible toss to lose with the amount of dew later on. It did get very easy to bat on. The wrist spinners want the ball to be dry and get some grip off the surface but with the dew it got really difficult," said Rahul after the match.

"On a sticky wicket, as it was when we batted, this was not a bad total. We didn't bowl badly, but we need to learn to bowl better with the wet ball," he said.

Rahul said that the amount of dew they encountered was not something they were prepared for.

"The dew has been unpredictable. We spoke to the groundsman, and he said there was no dew in the last game. You can't prepare for it, but you have to be able to adapt to that," he said.

The defeat keeps KXIP in fourth place with 12 points. They are level on points with RR, who moved to fifth with the win, and Kolkata Knight Riders, who dropped down to sixth.

All three teams have just one game left each, which means that their net run rate could be the difference between making it to the playoffs and missing out if they all win their last game.

"It has been the kind of season where nothing has come easy. We have had to work hard for every point. No surprise that it has come down to the last game," said Rahul.