Delhi Capitals (DC) kept their ipl 2026 Playoff hopes alive with crucial win Rajasthan Royals (RR) Sunday night in Delhi. This win not only delayed their exit from the tournament, but also ensured that the race for the final playoff positions would remain open until the final week of the league stage.
led by Akshar PatelUnder the pressure of mathematically surviving the competition, Delhi performed well. More importantly, the result took DC to 12 points from 13 matches and gave them one last chance to fight for a top-four finish.
Playoff scenario for DC
Despite keeping themselves alive with a win over Rajasthan, Delhi are now without qualification. The equation is simple for Axar’s side, as they need to win their final league-stage encounter Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) On 24 May. If DC manages to defeat KKR, they will finish with 14 points. However, even that cannot guarantee qualification as many direct competitors are still in strong positions on both points and net run rate.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) And Rajasthan Royals are currently leading the playoff race and can finish on 16 points each if they win their remaining matches. This means that Delhi will need both CSK and RR to lose all their remaining league matches to keep the door open for the fourth playoff spot.
Kolkata Knight Riders can still finish with 15 points even if they win both their remaining matches. This will effectively make Delhi’s clash against Kolkata a knockout game, as a DC win will prevent KKR from going past 14 points. Punjab Kings can also become an important factor in the qualification race. Delhi would ideally like PBKS to lose their remaining games to avoid further complications in the standings.
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Net run rate can become the biggest hurdle for DC
While the win over Rajasthan Royals has kept Delhi alive mathematically, their Net Run Rate (NRR) remains a major concern. DC currently has an NRR of -0.871, which is significantly worse than most of its direct competitors. Teams like CSK and RR currently have a slightly positive NRR Ajinkya Rahane’s The aspect remains partly negative. If the teams finish level on points it gives a huge advantage to all three sides.
Now winning against KKR will not be enough for Delhi Capitals. They may need a dominant win in their final match to significantly improve their NRR and give themselves a realistic chance in potential tie-break scenarios. As a result, DC’s most realistic qualification path now depends on CSK and RRR losing all their remaining matches while Delhi themselves secure a convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
