SRH’s win sealed a playoff berth for both themselves and GT ©BCCI/IPLThe race for the final playoff spot in IPL 2026 has turned into a dramatic multi-team battle with just seven league-stage matches remaining. Following Sunrisers Hyderabad’s victory over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, both SRH and Gujarat Titans officially sealed qualification alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru.That result also confirmed the elimination of Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, leaving five teams battling for the last available playoff berth. Qualified Teams So Far Royal Challengers Bengaluru — QualifiedRCB became the first team to secure a playoff spot after defeating Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. With 18 points and a massive net run rate of +1.065, they are now favourites to finish in the top two.Their final league match comes against SRH in Hyderabad. A win there would guarantee them the No.1 spot in the table with 20 points.Even if they lose, RCB are still heavily favoured to finish in the top two because of their enormous NRR advantage. Only an unlikely sequence of results — involving a huge GT victory and a heavy RCB defeat — could push them out.Gujarat Titans — QualifiedGT qualified thanks to SRH’s win over CSK. Their final match against Chennai will now determine whether they can secure a top-two finish.The permutations are relatively simple:* If GT beat CSK and SRH lose to RCB, Gujarat are guaranteed a top-two finish.* If both GT and SRH win, then RCB, GT, and SRH could all finish on 18 points, bringing NRR into the equation.Currently, GT hold a healthy NRR of +0.400, though still behind RCB’s dominant figure.Sunrisers Hyderabad — QualifiedSRH’s composed chase against CSK confirmed their playoff berth and underlined their status as one of the strongest batting teams in the competition. Their final league match against RCB could decide the top-two race. If SRH beat Bengaluru and GT also win, all three teams could finish level on 18 points, making net run rate decisive.At present, SRH’s NRR (+0.350) trails GT slightly, meaning they may need a sizeable victory over RCB to climb higher. The Fight for the Final Playoff SpotFive teams remain mathematically alive for the final playoff berth:* Punjab Kings* Rajasthan Royals* Chennai Super Kings* Delhi Capitals* Kolkata Knight RidersEach side still has a possible path, though some are far more realistic than others.Rajasthan Royals — Best Position Among ContendersRemaining Matches:* vs LSG (Home)* vs MI (Away)Despite losing six of their last eight matches, Rajasthan arguably control their own destiny better than any other side still chasing qualification.The equation is straightforward ye padeWin both matches → finish on 16 points → qualify.Importantly, RR face two already-eliminated teams in LSG and MI, giving them a favourable schedule compared to rivals.They can also qualify with 14 points, but only if:* PBKS lose,* CSK lose,* DC lose,* MI beat KKR.RR currently possess the cleanest and simplest qualification path among all remaining teams. Punjab Kings — Hanging by a ThreadRemaining Match:* vs LSG (Away)PBKS’ defeat to RCB severely damaged their campaign. With only one match left, the maximum they can now reach is 15 points.To qualify on 15 points:* PBKS must beat LSG,* RR must lose at least one game,* KKR must drop at least one match.Even then, NRR could become decisive.Punjab can theoretically qualify even on 13 points, but that requires a highly complicated chain of favourable results, including RR losing both matches and KKR slipping up.Their fate is no longer fully in their own hands.Chennai Super Kings — Almost OutRemaining Match:* vs GT (Away)CSK’s defeat against SRH at Chepauk may ultimately prove fatal.The maximum they can now reach is 14 points, meaning they require several results elsewhere to go their way.For CSK to qualify:* They must beat GT,* RR must lose both games,* PBKS must lose to LSG,* KKR must beat DC but then lose to MI.Only then could CSK potentially edge through, likely via superior NRR over DC.Given the number of external dependencies, Chennai’s chances now appear slim.Delhi Capitals — NRR ProblemRemaining Match:* vs KKR (Away)Delhi’s biggest issue is their disastrous net run rate of -0.871.Because of that, DC effectively cannot afford a points tie scenario and must aim to qualify outright on 14 points without relying on NRR.For that to happen:* DC must beat KKR,* LSG must beat PBKS,* RR must lose both matches,* GT must beat CSK.It is a narrow route, but still mathematically possible. Kolkata Knight Riders — Still AliveRemaining Matches:* vs MI (Home)* vs DC (Home)KKR remain one of the most unpredictable teams in the race because they still have two matches remaining.If they win both, they can reach 15 points.Their qualification scenarios include:* RR losing at least one game,* PBKS losing to LSG,* Or KKR staying ahead on NRR if multiple teams finish on 15 points.KKR can even qualify with 13 points under an extremely unlikely combination of results involving defeats for RR, PBKS, and CSK. Current Situation: Who Holds the Advantage?At this stage, the playoff race heavily favours Rajasthan Royals.Their advantages include:* Two matches remaining,* Easier opposition,* Qualification fully in their own control,* Better NRR than CSK and DC.KKR remain dangerous because of their extra game, while PBKS still have a realistic shot if they defeat LSG.CSK and DC, meanwhile, now depend heavily on multiple external results and appear the least likely qualifiers. Remaining League Matches That Matter MostThe most crucial fixtures in the playoff race are now:* Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants* Punjab Kings vs LSG* Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals* Chennai Super Kings vs GT* RR vs MIEvery result now has cascading effects across the table, and with several teams separated by only one or two points, the final week of the league stage promises a chaotic finish.At the moment, three playoff places are locked. But the race for the fourth spot remains wide open — and one bad evening could end any contender’s season instantly.
