It’s been 68 matches in IPL 2026. But the last spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs is still up for grabs. Punjab Kings beat Lucknow Super Giants by 7 wickets to stay in the hunt. But they will be glued to the TV to watch the MI vs RR match. If Rajasthan Royals win against Mumbai Indians, PBKS and KKR will be knocked out. If RR lose, they will be knocked out, and the DC vs KKR match will decide the fate of the last spot. The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and the Gujarat Titans (GT) have sealed the Top 3 spots. After RCB lost to SRH, Qualifier 1 has also been decided.
IPL Playoff Race
| Qualified | Still in the race | Knocked out |
|---|---|---|
| RCB | PBKS | LSG |
| GT | RR | MI |
| SRH | KKR | CSK |
| DC |
IPL 2026 Points Table
| Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0.783 |
| GT | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0.695 |
| SRH | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0.524 |
| PBKS | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 0.309 |
| RR | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0.083 |
| KKR | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 0.011 |
| CSK | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 12 | -0.345 |
| DC | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | -0.871 |
| MI | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 8 | -0.510 |
| LSG | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | -0.74 |
RCB Qualification scenarios – 18 Points in 14 games
- Top 2 – Confirmed
- Top 4 – Confirmed
RCB were the first team in the IPL 2026 playoffs. Despite a 55-run defeat to SRH, RCB have qualified for Qualifier 1 by ending at the top of the points table.
GT Qualification scenarios – 18 Points in 14 games
- Top 2 – Confirmed
- Top 4 – Confirmed
GT is into the playoffs after SRH beat CSK, since only one other team, RR, can claim 8 wins and end with 16 points. After beating CSK, they have also confirmed the second spot on the points table and will play in Qualifier 1.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – 18 points in 14 games
- Top 2 – Not Possible
- Top 4 – Confirmed
SRH is into the playoffs after defeating CSK. Despite beating RCB, they couldn’t finish in top 2.
RR qualification scenarios – 14 points in 13 games
- Top 2 – Not possible
- Top 4 – Possible
RR has reached 14 points after 13 matches after their one-sided encounter against LSG. If they lose another game, they are unlikely to qualify. However, if they win against MI on May 24, they will go to the next round for sure. And a convincing victory could see them finish in the two granted, granted GT and SRH both lose.
RR remaining IPL 2026 fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, May 24, 2026 | MI vs RR | Mumbai | 3:30 PM |
PBKS Qualification Scenarios – 15 Points in 14 games
- Top 2 – No chance
- Top 4 – Slim
With their win over Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings ended their six-match losing streak. And with that, they kept their hopes of qualifying for the IPL 2026 playoffs alive. Now, the equation is fairly simple. PBKS have 15 points from 14 matches.
- If MI beat RR and DC beat KKR, PBKS will qualify
- If RR win, both KKR and PBKS will be knocked out
- If RR lose and KKR beat DC, PBKS can qualify on a better net run rate
- PBKS will have to watch out for KKR’s net run rate in that case.
- 200, 77 runs,
- chasing, KKR win by 12.4 overs
KKR qualification scenarios – 13 Points in 13 games
- Top 2 – Leave it
- Top 4 – Outside chance
KKR course corrected a little too late. However, they still have a win. If they beat DC, they’ll get to 15 points. With PBKS already on 15 points, KKR have to hope that RR lose. If RR win, KKR will be knocked out along with PBKS. But if RR lose, KKR have to beat DC by 77 runs, batting first and scoring 200. If they chase, KKR will have to win in 12.4 overs or with 47 balls left.
- Hope that RR lose to MI
- Score 200 batting first, win by 77 runs
- Chase the target down in 12.4 overs to surpass PBKS’ net run rate
KKR remaining IPL 2026 fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, May 24, 2026 | KKR vs DC | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
IPL 2026 Playoff format explained
- The IPL playoffs system rewards teams finishing in the top two. Qualifier 1 is played between the top two teams, with the winner going straight to the final. The loser gets another chance in Qualifier 2
- The Eliminator is played between the third and fourth-placed teams, where the loser is knocked out. The winner then faces the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.
- The final is then played between the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
