Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) occupy the last three spots in the IPL 2026 points table. Here’s how they can still qualify for the playoffs.
All three teams have played eight matches in the season so far and have managed just two wins each. MI and LSG have four points apiece, with the latter sitting at the bottom with the worst net run-rate of the lot. KKR, meanwhile, are eighth with five points – their home game against league leaders Punjab Kings was washed out.
IPL 2026 points table ahead of CSK vs MI on May 2
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | +1.043 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +1.420 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.832 |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.510 |
| Gujarat Titans (GT) | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | -0.192 |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.895 |
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.121 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -0.751 |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.784 |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1.106 |
How MI, KKR and LSG can qualify for playoffs
With six games each left in the league stage, the maximum number of points MI and LSG can get is 16. KKR, on the other hand, can get to 17 if they win all their remaining matches. But will that be enough to see them through to the playoffs?
No team has ever finished outside the top four with 16 points in IPL history (except in 2012 and 2013, when each team played 16 games and not 14). So the three teams can take confidence from the fact that if they win all their remaining matches, playoff qualification is likely, with things potentially coming down to NRR.
On the contrary, since the IPL was expanded to 10 teams in 2022, only once has a team qualified for the playoffs with fewer than 16 points. Royal Challengers Bengaluru did so in 2024 with 14 - three other teams finished with 14 points, but RCB had the best NRR. But with four teams already on 12 or more points this season, this situation is unlikely to repeat itself. So one more defeat would possibly knock out MI, KKR and LSG.
What would be relevant for KKR, however, is that the second and third-placed teams reached the playoffs with 17 points in two of the last four seasons – 2023 and 2024. So, realistically, if they win all of their remaining games, KKR should qualify for the playoffs, while possibly not worrying about NRR as well.
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