The race for IPL 2026 playoffs is heating up, with six teams in with a realistic chance to make the top four.
IPL 2026 points table ahead of LSG vs CSK, Match 59
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | +1.053 |
| Gujarat Titans (GT) | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | +0.551 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | +0.331 |
| Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | +0.355 |
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.185 |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.082 |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | -0.993 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 11 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | -0.198 |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.504 |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.907 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Matches left: PBKS, SRH
RCB are quite comfortable at the top of the table, with a healthy net run-rate, and wins in both their remaining games will see them finish in the top two. There are multiple scenarios where they could top the table even with just one more win, and finish in the top four with defeats in both their remaining games. They will still want to secure qualification with a win in their next game against Punjab, and not drag it to their last league fixture.
Gujarat Titans
Matches left: KKR, CSK
Like RCB, Gujarat also have 16 points and are just a win away from securing qualification to the playoffs. But their net run-rate isn’t as good as Bengaluru, with both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab potentially one big win from overtaking them on the NRR column. Even then, one win could just be enough to see them finish in the top two, provided some other results go their way.
Two wins assure them of a top-two finish and give them two shots at the final. Two defeats would leave them hoping for other results to go their way. But Gujarat could take some hope from the fact that no team has ever finished outside the top four, since the league was expanded to 10 teams in 2022, after accumulating 16 points.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Matches left: CSK, RCB
Sunrisers will hope at least one of GT and RCB slip up to allow them to sneak into the top two and play the first qualifier. They would still have to win both of their games, though, which are against CSK and RCB. Both these sides are also in the playoff race, though on opposite ends, making the two games potential four-pointers for SRH.
SRH would potentially have to beat Bengaluru by a big margin, given the big difference in the two sides’ net run-rate, to sneak into the top two. Hyderabad are also in danger of missing out on the top four altogether, as PBKS, CSK and RR can all possibly overtake them in case of a slip-up.
Also read: Why KKR are the IPL's No.1 fielding team – and where the others lag behind
Punjab Kings
Matches left: RCB, LSG
Punjab are still alive in the playoffs race courtesy of their seven-match unbeaten run to start the season. Their five consecutive defeats have left them with little control over their future in the ongoing campaign, as both Chennai and Rajasthan have a game in hand and can overtake PBKS with wins in their remaining matches. So first of all, they will want those two sides to lose at least one game each, keeping them down to a maximum of 16 points
They would then have to win their two games and finish with 17, which would, if CSK and RR both drop points, give them at least the fourth spot and potentially even see them finish second, if other results go their way. Since they are the only team in the playoffs race with a washed-out game so far, they may be saved from NRR calculations if rain doesn’t play spoilsport in the remaining league games.
Punjab can finish in the top four even with just one more win, provided both CSK and RR win a maximum of just one of their remaining three games. They can go through even after losing both their games, but many other results will have to go their way.
Chennai Super Kings
Matches left: LSG, SRH, GT
Six wins in their last eight games have put CSK in the reckoning for a playoffs spot. They simply have to win all three of their remaining games to get to 18 points, which would be enough to take them to the next round. In some scenarios, they could even finish in the top two with that points haul as they face SRH and GT in their last two games, both of whom are also in the top-two race.
A defeat could complicate things for Chennai, and they will then be left to hope that other results go their way - one would be if both PBKS and RR register only one more win from their remaining games. They could go through even with 14 points, but PBKS and RR will have to lose all their remaining matches in that case.
Rajasthan Royals
Matches left: DC, LSG, MI
RR are sixth in the table, and also sport the worst NRR of the top-six sides. So while they will want to win all three of their matches, winning big would be on the agenda as well. Three wins from three would likely take them through, but some other results will have to go their way, like CSK dropping points to not get into NRR calculations.
Two victories could take them through as well, provided CSK and PBKS win just one, while one win would take RR through if Chennai and Punjab lose all their remaining matches. RR also have the chance to finish in the top two, but many other results will have to go their way, and a potential NRR clash will be on the cards as well.
What could work in Rajasthan’s favour is that they play three teams that are out of the playoffs race and thus potentially not as big a threat as they would have been during mid-season.
Also read: How Rishabh Pant went backwards as IPL scoring skyrocketed
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