Summary of this article
IPL 2026 is nearing its business end with two teams officially out of the play-off contention
MI and LSG are out of the play-off race
RCB's victory catapulted them to the top spot of the IPL 2026 standings
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearing its business end, as Sunday's double-header saw some big moments in the play-off race. The Lucknow Super Giants were officially knocked out of the playoff race after suffering defeat against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The victory helped Chennai Super Kings climb to fifth in the points table with 12 points, drawing them level with Rajasthan Royals.
In the second match of the day, Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Mumbai Indians by two wickets that helped the defending champions climb to the summit of the IPL 2026 points table and also put MI out of the play-off contention.
Here’s a look at where each team stands in the IPL 2026 playoff race:
RCB Qualification Scenario:
The current holders of the IPL, RCB are in a strong position to qualify for the play-offs. They have accumulated 14 points from 11 matches and could still take the tally to 20 points if they win their remaining games, which will be enough for a top-four spot.
Rajat Patidar-led side require just one win from their last three matches to secure a play-off berth.
SRH Qualification Scenario:
Pat Cummins-led SRH have blazed away opponents in this IPL 2026. The have seven wins from 11 games, and a healthy run-rate of 0.737 with 14 points to go with it. Just like RCB, SunRisers Hyderabad need one more win to confirm their spot in the play-offs and could even grab the top-two spot if they win all their remaining games.
GT Qualification Scenario:
Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans have won four matches on the spin and that has boosted their chances of finishing in the play-off spot. Another win could see them accumulate 14 points and place them above RR in the table. However, they need to win their remaining games if they are to confirm their play-off spot.
PBKS Qualification Scenario:
After starting the season strongly, Punjab Kings have stumbled with few defeats along the road. Despite that, they are in fourth position and have every chance to finish in the play-off spot. With 13 points from 10 games, PBKS are two wins away from securing a play-off spot. Win their three remaining games and Shreyas Iyer's side could also potentially finish in the top-two.
RR Qualification Scenario:
Rajasthan Royals are outside the top four as things stand with 12 points. A defeat against GT could keep them outside the top four and leaves them in a precarious situation. Riyan Parag's men cannot ill afford to lose any of their remaining games and must win all of their three games to keep them in pace of the qualification race.
CSK Qualification Scenario:
Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings have 12 points from 11 games with a NRR of 0.151. If CSK win all of their remaining matches, they reach 16 points which almost puts them in the contention for a play-off spot.
DC Qualification Scenario:
Axar Patel's side have left very little do for them to seal a spot in the play-off spots. They have eight points from 11 matches and even if they win all their remaining matches, they would need other results to go their way.
KKR Qualification Scenario:
Ajinkya Rahane's side have made a remarkable change in fortune as far as their form is concerned. After a terrible start to IPL 2026, KKR are still in with a shout of finishing in the play-offs. They will have to win all their games and must rely on other results to go their way.
IPL 2026 Points Table
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | No Result | Points | NRR |
| 1 | RCB | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 1.103 |
| 2 | SRH | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0.737 |
| 3 | GT | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0.228 |
| 4 | PBKS | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0.571 |
| 5 | CSK | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0.185 |
| 6 | RR | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0.082 |
| 7 | KKR | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 9 | -0.169 |
| 8 | DC | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 8 | -1.154 |
| 9 | MI (E) | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | -0.585 |
| 10 | LSG (E) | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | -0.907 |
Eliminated Teams:
MI and LSG are officially out of the IPL 2026 play-off qualifying race. Defeats at the hands of CSK and RCB, respectively have left them with very little to do. Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians have had a disastrous campaign in the IPL 2026 and with three games to go, they would look to end on a high and also test their bench strength.
