One spot, five teams: IPL 2026 Playoff Battle Intensifies

May.19 (Mirror Sports) - The IPL 2026 league stage is nearing its conclusion, with three teams already securing playoff qualification.

After Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Chennai Super Kings on Monday (May 18), SRH joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in the playoffs. With only seven league matches remaining, five teams are now battling for the final playoff spot.

The teams still in contention are Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, and Delhi Capitals.

For a complete breakdown of IPL 2026 results, scores, and match-by-match summaries, click here.

For IPL 2026 Points Table, Group Tables & Standings, click here

   Kolkata Knight Riders   

KKR must win both of their remaining matches to reach 15 points. They will also need Rajasthan Royals to lose at least one of their final two matches. Punjab Kings may also need to lose against Lucknow Super Giants. Both CSK and DC can finish with a maximum of 14 points.

   Rajasthan Royals   

Rajasthan Royals will qualify directly if they win both of their remaining matches.

If RR win one and lose one, they will finish on 14 points. In that scenario, KKR must lose one of their last two games, while Punjab Kings will also need to suffer a defeat. CSK and DC may also need to drop points for RR to progress.

   Punjab Kings   

Punjab Kings, currently on a six-match losing streak, must win their final league game to stay alive in the playoff race.

Even with a win, PBKS will need:

• Rajasthan Royals to lose one of their final two matches.
• KKR to lose one of their remaining matches.

If KKR win both games, qualification could come down to Net Run Rate (NRR) between PBKS and KKR.

   Chennai Super Kings   

CSK can finish with a maximum of 14 points but require several results to go their way.

For Chennai to qualify:

• KKR must beat Delhi Capitals but lose to Mumbai Indians.
• Rajasthan Royals must either lose both matches against LSG and MI, or win narrowly to keep their NRR low.
• Punjab Kings must lose to LSG.
• CSK must significantly improve their NRR, while DC may also need to finish with an inferior NRR.

All these scenarios must align for CSK to reach the playoffs.

   Delhi Capitals   

Delhi Capitals can also finish with a maximum of 14 points.

For DC to qualify:

• They must beat KKR by a huge margin to boost their NRR.
• CSK must lose heavily in their final match.
• Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings must lose their remaining games.

Five teams. One playoff spot. The IPL 2026 playoff race is going down to the wire.