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Even after 68 league matches, the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs is still wide open. Every year, the top four teams in the points table at the end of the league stage qualify for the playoffs.
So far this year, three teams – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad have confirmed their place in the playoffs. RCB and GT will play Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on May 26 after finishing first and second respectively in the points table.
However, SRH have finished third and will play the eliminator on May 27 at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Three other teams – Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders – are now in the race to join SRH in Mullanpur. Interestingly, RCB, GT and SRH all finished with 9 wins and 18 points from 14 matches, with the net run rate being the only difference.
Under the playoff format, the winner of Qualifier 1 will play the IPL final on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The losing team of this match will face the winner of the eliminator in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in Mullanpur. The winner of Qualifier 2 will play the final against the winner of Qualifier 1.
sunday ipl schedule
The remaining two matches of the league stage will be played on Sunday, May 24. In the afternoon match, RR will take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
In the evening match, KKR will face Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The three teams still in the race for the playoffs will have to keep an eye on both the matches.
Playoff qualification scenario for all three teams
As of now, PBKS has completed all its 14 matches in IPL 2026, while RR and KKR will play their 14th match today. Currently, Punjab is fourth in the points table with 15 points, having won 7 matches and one match remained inconclusive.
RR is at fifth position with 14 points after winning 7 out of 13 matches. KKR is at sixth position with 6 wins, one no result and 13 points from 13 matches.
Rajasthan Royals
Of the three teams in the race to make the playoffs, RR has the easiest equation. Despite winning each of their first four matches, RR faltered midway through the season, but recovered in time and found themselves in a position where they controlled their own destiny.
PBKS’s win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday means Sunday’s game is now a must-win for RR. If RR beats MI, they will take the fourth qualification spot and eliminate both PBKS and KKR. If RR loses, they will be out and everything will depend on the evening match.
RR’s win against MI will take them to 16 points, a total neither PBKS nor KKR can now match, leave alone occupy.
punjab kings
At the halfway stage, PBKS were tipped by many experts as the team to beat. Some people even said that other teams should stop trying and simply hand over the IPL trophy to them.
In their first 7 matches, PBKS got 6 wins and one no result. From here, last year’s runners-up continued their 6-match losing streak which was broken only after defeating LSG on Saturday. Now, their fate is not in their control, and despite having an odd number of points, they need NRR in their favor.
For PBKS to qualify, they need RR to lose to MI. As mentioned above, this is a non-negotiable. Ideally, they would like Delhi Capitals to beat KKR in the evening. If this happens, Punjab will qualify at fourth place with 15 points, while RR will be on 14 and KKR on 13 points.
If RR loses to MI, but KKR beats DC, then the fourth spot in net run rate will fall between KKR and PBKS as both the teams will finish on 15 points.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR were almost the opposite of PBKS when it came to the progress of the season. In their first 6 matches, they had 5 losses and one no result against PBKS.
But, they bounced back in the second half and won 6 of their next 7 matches to give themselves an outside chance of reaching the playoffs. But, PBKS’s win over LSG on Saturday made KKR’s task even more difficult.
Now, to qualify, KKR will not only have to beat DC but also hope that RR lose to MI and their net run rate can surpass PBKS.
KKR may not overtake Punjab on the points table, but they have an outside chance of surpassing their NRR. To surpass that figure, KKR would have to win by around 75 runs if batting first, or chase their target in around 13 overs if batting second. The exact numbers will vary depending on the actual score in the match.
Also Read: KKR vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today Match, Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update – IPL 2026, Match 70