By Admin 
The league stage of IPL 2026 will end on May 24. About 2 weeks before that, the situation of the playoffs has started becoming clear. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have become the first two teams to be out of the playoff race. Now there is a fight between 8 teams for the last four places.
Before going into the equation of playoff, know the status of the points table. Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, these three teams have 14 points each, while Punjab Kings is in fourth place with 13 points. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have 12 points each and are also in the race for the playoffs. Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals are at seventh and eighth position respectively.
Playoff battle between 8 teams
RCB- RCB has 14 points after 11 matches and still have 3 matches left. Bengaluru can reach maximum 20 points. Even if they win one of the next 3 matches, Bengaluru’s place in the playoffs will be almost confirmed, but Bengaluru will have to ensure that its net run rate remains strong.
SRH- Like RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad can also score maximum 20 points. If Hyderabad wins one more match with a net run rate of +0.737, then its playoff qualification will also be almost certain.
GT- By winning 4 consecutive matches, Gujarat has come very close to playoff qualification. Gujarat also has a chance to win its next three matches and finish in the top-2. There may be a problem with Gujarat due to weak net run rate, which is currently at +0.228. By winning 2 out of the next 3 matches, Gujarat can reach the playoffs and will not need to depend on anyone else.
PBKS- Punjab Kings have 13 points in 10 matches and if they win the next four matches, then Punjab will not only get the ticket for the playoffs but will also secure their place at the top of the table. Two wins in the next 4 matches will ensure Punjab’s place in the last-4.
CSK- Chennai Super Kings remains in the race for the playoffs after registering 6 wins in the last 8 matches. It has only three matches left, in which by winning on two occasions, Chennai can easily get a ticket for the playoffs.
RR- Rajasthan Royals also have the same situation as Chennai Super Kings, but their net run rate is +0.082, which can become a problem for them in the future. Rajasthan can easily go to the playoffs by winning the remaining three matches, Rajasthan should not accept anything less than that.
KKR- Kolkata Knight Riders currently have 9 points and 4 matches left. By winning the next four matches, it will have a total of 17 points, which will be enough for playoff qualification, but even with three wins out of 4, KKR’s place in the playoffs will not be confirmed.
DC- The position of Delhi Capitals is very weak, they have 8 points in 11 matches. Even after winning the remaining three matches, it will have a maximum of 14 points. Another defeat means Delhi will be eliminated. Therefore, Delhi not only has to win the next three matches but it is very important to improve its net run rate.
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