Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already booked one of the three slots in the WPL 2026 playoffs, but who will claim the other two?
WPL 2026: Points table after match no.17
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | N/R | Pts | NRR |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | +0.947 |
| Gujarat Giants | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -0.271 |
| Mumbai Indians | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | +0.146 |
| Delhi Capitals | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -0.164 |
| UP Warriorz | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | -0.769 |
Matches left in WPL 2026
All matches in Vadodara from 7.30pm IST
January 29: RCB vs UPW
January 30: GG vs MI
February 1: DC vs UPW
February 3: Eliminator
February 5: Final
RCB have qualified, but have they avoided the Eliminator?
Well, almost. The only team who can topple RCB from the top spot are GG. For that to happen, RCB need to lose their last match and GG win their last match and both have to be by massive margins (enough to wipe out the +1.218 margin that separates them).
If any one of these does not happen, RCB will play directly in the final.
Which other teams can make it to the qualifiers?
Assuming no match is abandoned, here are all possible scenarios across the three remaining league matches.
| Scenario | Match with winners | Final points | ||||||
| RCB-UPW | MI-GG | DC-UPW | RCB | GG | MI | DC | UPW | |
| 1 | RCB | MI | DC | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| 2 | RCB | MI | UPW | 12 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | RCB | GG | DC | 12 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| 4 | RCB | GG | UPW | 12 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | UPW | MI | DC | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| 6 | UPW | MI | UPW | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | UPW | GG | DC | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| 8 | UPW | GG | UPW | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
Note:
- As mentioned above, scenarios 7 and 8 are the only possible options for RCB to not top the table (and thus have to play the Eliminator) – and even then the net run rate will come into the picture.
- Scenarios 2, 3, 7, and 8 will determine the top three without considering the net run rate. Of them, 2 and 3 are the only instances where the top spot will not require net run rate as well.
- Things do not look good for bottom-placed UPW, but they can make it (scenarios 4, 6, 8). Of these, 8 will not bring their net run rate in the equation.
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