IPL 2026 playoff scenarios of all teams ahead of RR vs LSG: 1 spot, 5 teams, 7 games

Now only scraps remain in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs. Sunrisers Hyderabad took apart Chennai Super Kings by five wickets yesterday at Chepauk, sharp and precise. That match alone reshaped everything - sudden, decisive. In they go: Sunrisers Hyderabad, along with Gujarat Titans, are now confirmed. RCB already sat there, waiting. Three spots filled, quiet but firm.

Tonight, under the glare of stadium lights, everything tightens. Match 64 at Sawai Mansingh isn’t just another game. The wide-open chase now hinges on slimmer margins. Five teams still dream of advancing. Only one slot remains open. Seven matches stand between hope and elimination. What felt loose and scattered now feels sharp, focused, urgent - like breath held too long.

What's left on the scoreboard for the last five teams comes down to these numbers, now that the Rajasthan Royals prepare to face off against a determined Lucknow Super Giants side eager to disrupt the order.

The Remaining Playoff Chasers in IPL 2026

1. Punjab Kings - 13 Points | 1 Match Left (vs LSG)

Punjab Kings hold a narrow lead right now, perched at 13 points chasing the last playoff place. Winning their match versus Lucknow on May 23 becomes the only thing that matters. If they win, their total climbs to 15 - enough to rise above the pack stuck scrambling beneath 14.

If PBKS stumble in Lucknow, their total sticks at 13 points - they’re locked out completely. Then, survival means hoping CSK, RR, and DC somehow drop each of their upcoming matches; on top of that, their net run rate must hold up through a cluster of weak performances.

2. Chennai Super Kings - 12 Points | 1 Match Left (vs GT)

Chasing hope after Ishan Kishan and Pat Cummins struck hard yesterday, Chennai’s cushion near the top crumbles. With just a single match left, twelve points sit idle under grey skies. Destiny slips, no longer theirs to shape.

On May 21, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s side needs a win over soaring Gujarat Titans to hit 14 points and stay alive. If that happens, their fate still hangs in the balance on Lucknow Super Giants pulling off a strong victory against Punjab Kings. A Punjab triumph means CSK's exit immediately. But should Punjab fall while Chennai rises, the Yellow Brigade get tossed into a nerve-wracking net run rate battle with any other team also stuck at 14.

3. Rajasthan Royals - 12 Points | 2 Matches Left (vs LSG, vs MI)

One stumble dropped them to fifth, yet Rajasthan still holds something others do not: extra matches waiting. While stuck at 12 points like several rivals, they carry two untouched chances, unlike the rest. These upcoming clashes come against sides with nothing left to fight for. That edge might just tilt what comes next.

Under Riyan Parag, the goal stands sharp. If RR beat LSG tonight, then follow it with a win over MI on May 24, they hit 16 points and secure fourth place without drama. But losing just once leaves them stuck at 14 - tossed straight into a net run rate battle with Chennai and Delhi, where their slim edge of +0.027 suddenly looks fragile.

Also Read: Will Ravindra Jadeja and Aiden Markram play today RR vs LSG game in Jaipur?

4. Delhi Capitals - 12 Points | 1 Match Left (vs KKR)

Delhi Capitals stayed in the race after scraping past Rajasthan by five wickets under lights at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Still, hope hangs by a thread, like walking uphill barefoot. Their last match comes on May 24 against KKR, where victory could push them to 14 points total. Only if everything falls perfectly will that be enough.

That shaky net run rate, sitting at minus 0.871, drags Delhi deeper by the day. Beating KKR won’t be enough; they’ll have to crush them, wipe them out fast. Luck leans elsewhere, too: Punjab must stumble badly in their last match. On top of that, Chennai and Rajasthan somehow need to fail hard when it counts most.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders - 11 Points | 2 Matches Left (vs MI, vs DC)

Bottom of the table, yet still fighting, that's where the Kolkata Knight Riders stand. Eleven points now, two matches left: one against MI come May 20, then another against DC on the 24th. Reaching fifteen is still possible, just barely. Numbers say yes, even if odds whisper otherwise.

One wrong step wipes out KKR’s chances completely. Victory slips away if even one game is lost, ending everything right then. If wins come in both remaining matches, pushing them to 15 points, a jump past the crowded 14-point group follows. Only when Lucknow beats Punjab on May 23 does survival stay possible; otherwise, PBKS ties the number that keeps hope alive.

Remaining IPL 2026 League Fixtures

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