This is RR’s advantage in the IPL 2026 playoff race. (Image credit: IPL)
With five games remaining in the league stage of IPL 2026, LSG and MI are already out of contention for the playoffs while RCB, GT and SRH have qualified. RR is ranked best among others followed by PBKS and KKR. DC and CSK are still in the mix but only mathematically. There are now 32 possible combinations of results, so nothing is certain yet for any of the remaining five in the race who have not qualified. We look at their paths to eligibility:
- RR have to beat MI in their last game to ensure qualification. That would leave them with the possibility of a three-way tie for second (with SRH and GT if those teams lose their final games) or a tie for third with either SRH or GT. If they lose against MI, they will have to hope that PBKS don’t beat LSG.
- PBKS must beat LSG to have any chance of qualifying. Even if they do, they will need MI to beat RR. If that happens, the KKR-DC game will determine whether PBKS is the sole fourth-place finisher or joint-fourth with KKR.
- KKR has to beat DC. But this alone is not enough. They need MI to beat RR. If that happens, the PBKS-LSG game will decide whether KKR remains sole fourth or tied with PBKS for the spot.
- Not only must DC beat KKR, they also need two other results to go their way – LSG beating PBKS and MI beating RR – to even finish fourth with RR or KKR and CSK. Their net run rate is significantly worse than both, which means the possibility of qualification looks only theoretical.
- CSK’s situation is even more dependent on other results. They need to beat GT and then hope three other results come their way – LSG beat PBKS, MI beat RR and DC beat KKR. If all this happens, CSK will tie with RR and DC for the fourth spot. Their current net run rate is worse than RR but better than DC.
