IPL 2026 playoff qualification situations: PBKS and RCB all however sure, sport over for MI and LSG – Inside Sport India

The IPL 2026 league stage has reached that phase where every result will have its effect in the playoff race. Some teams are cruising, some are hanging on, and a few are already staring at the exit door. While nothing is officially sealed yet, a sound mind can see that Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have one foot in the playoffs, while teams like Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are realistically out of the race. You can include the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in that too.

What teams need to qualify for IPL 2026 playoffs?

Traditionally, the qualification mark in a 10-team IPL sits around 16 points. Get to eight wins and you are almost always through. 14 points can sometimes be enough, but that depends heavily on net run rate and how congested the table is. However, other results also matter in this and luck plays a factor. Don’t expect anything with 12 points. SRH were the only exception in IPL 2019 when they qualified with 12 points but back then, there were eight teams.

IPL 2026 Points Table

Pos	Team	P	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
1	PBKS	8	6	1	1	13	+1.043
2	RCB	9	6	3	0	12	+1.420
3	SRH	9	6	3	0	12	+0.832
4	RR	10	6	4	0	12	+0.510
5	GT	9	5	4	0	10	-0.192
6	CSK	9	4	5	0	8	+0.005
7	DC	9	4	5	0	8	-0.895
8	KKR	8	2	5	1	5	-0.751
9	MI	9	2	7	0	4	-0.803
10	LSG	8	2	6	0	4	-1.106

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Qualification chances – 13 Points in 8 games

• Top 2 likely
• Top 4 all but confirmed

Punjab Kings (PBKS) started their campaign with a seven-match winning streak. The Shreyas Iyer-led side has been fantastic and is most likely to qualify for the playoffs. To attain 16 points, PBKS need just two wins in the remaining six matches, which is all but certain. Only a horrible form at the business end can create trouble for them but it is highly unlikely.

• PBKS remaining fixtures:
• 46th Match, May 03, Gujarat Titans, GT
• 49th Match, May 06, Sunrisers Hyderabad
• 55th Match, May 11, Delhi Capitals, DC
• 58th Match, May 14, Mumbai Indians, MI
• 61st Match, May 17, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, RCB
• 68th Match, May 23, Lucknow Super Giants, LSG
• Minimum more points needed for 16 points: 3.
• Qualification chances: 92%

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Qualification chances – 12 Points in 9 games

• Top 2 in sight
• Top 4 very likely

RCB are playing like defending champions. With six wins already, they need just two more victories from five games to hit the 16-point mark.

Their strong NRR (+1.420) gives them an added cushion. Even if they end on 14, they should remain in contention. But given their current form, they are favourites to finish in the top two.

RCB remaining IPL 2026 fixtures

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Thu, May 7, 2026	LSG vs RCB	Lucknow	7:30 PM
Sun, May 10, 2026	RCB vs MI	Raipur	7:30 PM
Wed, May 13, 2026	RCB vs KKR	Raipur	7:30 PM
Sun, May 17, 2026	PBKS vs RCB	Dharamsala	3:30 PM
Fri, May 22, 2026	SRH vs RCB	Hyderabad	7:30 PM

Minimum more points needed for 16: 4
Qualification chances: 85%

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – 12 Points in 9 games

Strong playoff push
Top 4 likely

SRH are right alongside RCB, and their campaign has been built on consistency. Six wins in nine matches puts them in a strong position.

Two more wins should seal qualification. With a healthy NRR, they also remain in the race for a top-two finish, especially with key games against GT and RCB coming up.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 4
Qualification chances: 81%

Rajasthan Royals (RR) – 12 Points in 10 games

In control, but not safe yet

RR have played one extra game compared to RCB and SRH, which makes their situation slightly tricky. With four matches left, they likely need at least three wins to reach 18 points and guarantee qualification.

Two wins might take them to 16, but anything less could drag them into the NRR battle. Their position looks strong, but the margin for error is smaller than it appears.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 4
Qualification chances: 68%

Gujarat Titans (GT) – 10 Points in 9 games

Mid-table fight
No room for slip-ups

GT have revived their campaign with back-to-back wins, but they are still outside the top four. With five games left, they need at least three wins to reach 16.

Two wins (14 points) could keep them alive, but their negative NRR is a concern. They will need both results and convincing margins from here.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 6
Qualification chances: 40%

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – 8 Points in 9 games

Hanging by a thread

CSK are still alive, but the equation is simple now. They need to win at least four of their remaining five matches to reach 16 points.

Three wins (14 points) might not be enough unless other results go their way. The good part is their NRR is slightly positive, which keeps them in the mix.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 8
Qualification chances: 16%

Delhi Capitals (DC) – 8 Points in 9 games

Must-win territory

Delhi are in a similar spot to CSK but with a major disadvantage. Their NRR is one of the worst in the league.

They need four wins out of five to reach 16. Even then, they may need big margins to fix their NRR. Three wins will likely not be enough.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 8
Qualification chances: 12%

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – 5 Points in 8 games

Almost out

KKR’s campaign has gone off track. With just two wins so far, they need to win all six remaining matches to reach 17 points.

Even one more defeat will almost certainly end their chances. At this stage, qualification looks highly unlikely.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 11
Qualification chances: 4%

Mumbai Indians (MI) – 4 Points in 9 games

Virtually eliminated

MI’s season has unravelled. With just two wins in nine games, their maximum possible points tally is 14.

That means even if they win all remaining matches, they are not guaranteed qualification. Add to that their poor NRR, and it is safe to say their campaign is as good as over.

Minimum more points needed for 16: Not possible
Qualification chances: 0.2%

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – 4 Points in 8 games

Season slipping away

LSG are in a similar situation to MI but with one extra game in hand. They must win all six remaining matches to reach 16.

Given their current form and five straight losses, that looks extremely unlikely. Realistically, their playoff hopes are almost gone.

Minimum more points needed for 16: 12
Qualification chances: 1%

IPL 2026 Playoff format explained

• The IPL playoffs system rewards teams finishing in the top two. Qualifier 1 is played between the top two teams, with the winner going straight to the final. The loser gets another chance in Qualifier 2
• The Eliminator is played between the third and fourth-placed teams, where the loser is knocked out. The winner then faces the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.
• The final is then played between the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.

That is why finishing in the top two is such a big advantage. And as things stand, PBKS, RCB and SRH are leading that race, while others are just trying to stay alive.