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]IPL 2026 Playoff Race: RCB, SRH & GT Qualify as RR Move to Fourth Spot
by Shekhar
The Indian Premier League 2026 playoff race is heating up as three teams have officially secured their spots in the playoffs. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru remain in contention for a top-two finish, while Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans have also confirmed qualification.
Rajasthan Royals climbed to fourth place after a dominant 7-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday, edging past Punjab Kings in the points table.
IPL 2026 Points Table
| Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB (Q) | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 18 | +1.065 |
| GT (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 16 | +0.400 |
| SRH (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 16 | +0.350 |
| RR | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | +0.083 |
| PBKS | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | +0.227 |
| CSK | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | -0.016 |
| DC | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | -0.871 |
| KKR | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 11 | -0.038 |
| MI (E) | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | -0.504 |
| LSG | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 8 | -0.702 |
IPL 2026 Qualification Scenario
| Team | Points | Top 2 Chances | Top 4 Chances | Qualification Scenario | Remaining Fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB | 18 | Likely | Confirmed | Need win vs SRH to strengthen chances of Qualifier 1 finish | Fri, May 22 – SRH vs RCB, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM |
| GT | 16 | Likely | Confirmed | Qualified after SRH beat CSK; fighting for Top 2 | Thu, May 21 – GT vs CSK, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM |
| SRH | 16 | Likely | Confirmed | Qualified after beating CSK; competing for Top 2 | Fri, May 22 – SRH vs RCB, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM |
| RR | 14 | Impossible | Possible | Win vs MI likely seals playoff spot; loss complicates chances | Sun, May 24 – MI vs RR, Mumbai, 3:30 PM |
| PBKS | 13 | No chance | Slim | Need win vs LSG plus several favorable results from RR, CSK, KKR matches | Sat, May 23 – LSG vs PBKS, Lucknow, 7:30 PM |
| CSK | 12 | Not possible | Tough | Must beat GT and depend on RR, PBKS, KKR results | Thu, May 21 – GT vs CSK, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM |
| DC | 12 | No chance | Outside chance | Need RR, CSK, PBKS, KKR results to go their way and better NRR | Sun, May 24 – KKR vs DC, Kolkata, 7:30 PM |
| KKR | 11 | Impossible | Outside chance | Must win remaining matches and hope RR/PBKS lose | Wed, May 20 – KKR vs MI, Kolkata, 7:30 PM; Sun, May 24 – KKR vs DC, Kolkata, 7:30 PM |
| MI | 8 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Officially knocked out despite remaining games | Wed, May 20 – KKR vs MI, Kolkata, 7:30 PM; Sun, May 24 – MI vs RR, Mumbai, 3:30 PM |
| LSG | 8 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Officially knocked out | Sat, May 23 – LSG vs PBKS, Lucknow, 7:30 PM |