The IPL 2026 playoff race is still wide open as the league stage moves into its final week, with seven franchises fighting for the last three places in the postseason. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became the first side to book a spot after beating Punjab Kings on Sunday, but Delhi Capitals’ win over Rajasthan Royals intensified the fight in the upper half of the table. With the tournament nearing its closing stretch, attention now turns to how the remaining seven teams can secure qualification. (IPL 2026 Points Table)
RCB have already clinched their berth, while only two teams have been ruled out so far: Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants. For the rest, the scenarios are finely balanced, with qualification likely to hinge on both points and net run rate (NRR) depending on results.
Gujarat Titans
Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans need just one win from their remaining two matches to seal qualification. They are also in a strong position to challenge RCB for the top spot. Even if they lose both games, they should still progress on points or NRR, barring an extreme turnaround in results involving teams below them.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) control their own destiny. If they win twice, they could move to 18 points, which would put them firmly in the top four and could even open the door to a top-two finish. A single victory would take them to 16 points, a total that should comfortably clear the teams competing just below them, particularly given SRH’s positive NRR.
Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a damaging defeat against RCB, leaving them with a ceiling of 15 points if they win their final match against Lucknow Super Giants. Since they cannot reach the 16-point safety line, a win is effectively mandatory. Even then, PBKS will need help from elsewhere—CSK, Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) must be unable to comfortably surpass the 14-point level with a better NRR. SRH are expected to finish above PBKS, while Delhi Capitals (DC) can only reach 14 points, which would be of no consequence if Punjab manage to get to 15.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals are staring at a potential collapse after losing four of their last five matches. Despite the recent setbacks, their qualification path still depends on how they perform from here. If RR win both remaining fixtures, they will finish with 16 points—enough to stay ahead of PBKS, KKR, and DC. If they win only once, the outcome could drag them into a tense NRR showdown involving CSK and DC, assuming either KKR or PBKS fail to reach 15 points.
Chennai Super Kings
After their recent loss to Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are in must-win territory. The best route for them is to win both remaining games to reach 16 points. If CSK manage only one win and finish on 14 points, they will be fully reliant on RR, KKR, and PBKS not exceeding the 14-point mark, while also ensuring CSK’s NRR remains superior to the teams around them.
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals kept their hopes alive with a win over Rajasthan, but their margin for error is tiny because they have only one match left. DC can finish with a maximum of 14 points, so qualification requires a victory in their final game—preferably by a large margin. That push for big runs comes with heavy dependence on other results: CSK, PBKS, and RR must lose all of their remaining fixtures, and KKR can’t win more than one of their last two. On top of that, DC’s NRR is severely compromised at -0.871, meaning they will need substantial victory margins or a major points collapse across the rest of the field to squeeze into the playoffs.
