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Rajasthan Royals held their nerve on the final day of the IPL 2026 league stage, beating Mumbai Indians by 30 runs at the Wankhede Stadium to seal the fourth and final playoff spot. RR finished on 16 points, shutting the door on PBKS, who ended on 15, and Kolkata Knight Riders, whose late-season surge became irrelevant the moment Rajasthan crossed the line.
It was not a smooth performance from the RR with the bat, but it was a complete enough one. Jofra Archer's all-round impact, Ravindra Jadeja's late cameo, and a brutal new-ball spell in the chase gave Rajasthan Royals the win they needed. The playoff bracket is now locked: RCB vs GT in Qualifier 1, and SRH vs RR in the Eliminator.
Rajasthan Royals scrap their way to 205
Rajasthan Royals did not build their total through one monster innings. They got there through layers of useful, high-impact contributions. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave them early momentum with 27 off 17 balls, including three sixes, but RR were quickly dragged back when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell for 4 and captain Riyan Parag was dismissed for 14.
At 54/3 after the powerplay, Rajasthan Royals needed stability and acceleration together. Dhruv Jurel provided the first part with a composed 38 off 26 balls, while Dasun Shanaka added a sharp 29 off 15, striking three sixes. Donovan Ferreira chipped in with 18, but the real late push came from Jofra Archer.
Promoted to No. 7, Archer played one of the most valuable cameos of the match, smashing 32 off just 15 balls with one four and three sixes. Even after RR slipped to 175/8, Ravindra Jadeja and Nandre Burger gave the innings a strong finish. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 19 off 11, while Burger struck 10 not out off three balls as Rajasthan reached 205/8.
For MI, Deepak Chahar took 2/43, Shardul Thakur picked up 2/41, Will Jacks was tidy with 1/12 in two overs, while Corbin Bosch and Allah Ghazanfar took one wicket each. But Mumbai's bowlers could not prevent Rajasthan from crossing the 200-mark.
Jofra Archer rips through MI early
Mumbai's chase began in the worst possible way. Rohit Sharma, used as the Impact Player, fell for a duck in the first over, caught behind off Archer. Naman Dhir was also bowled by Archer for 6, and Ryan Rickelton fell to Nandre Burger for 12.
When Tilak Varma was bowled by Brijesh Sharma for 3, MI were 38/4 inside the powerplay. At that point, Rajasthan Royals had one foot in the playoffs.
Suryakumar Yadav and Will Jacks tried to rebuild. SKY made 60 off 42 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes, while Jacks struck 33 off 18. Their 63-run stand gave MI a brief opening, but Rajasthan kept taking wickets at the right moments.
Yash Raj Punja removed Jacks, and Archer returned to dismiss Hardik Pandya, who had threatened with 34 off 15 balls. Burger then removed Suryakumar in the 18th over, ending Mumbai’s last realistic hope.
MI finished on 175/9 in 20 overs, 30 runs short. Archer was the standout bowler with 3/17 in four overs. Burger took 2/43, Brijesh Sharma returned 2/26, and Yash Raj Punja claimed 2/44.
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RR qualify, PBKS and KKR knocked out
This result settled the final playoff equation. Rajasthan Royals moved to 16 points and grabbed the last available spot. Punjab Kings, despite their dramatic win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday powered by Shreyas Iyer’s maiden IPL century, were eliminated on 15 points.
PBKS had done what they could by ending their six-match losing streak, but their earlier No Result meant their ceiling was only 15. PBKS needed Mumbai Indians to beat Rajasthan Royals. MI could not deliver.
Kolkata Knight Riders were also knocked out before their match against Delhi Capitals could matter. KKR still had a mathematical chance if MI beat RR, but Rajasthan Royals win closed that route completely. Their evening game against DC became a dead rubber.
The final IPL 2026 playoff line-up is now confirmed. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala on May 26. Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh.
For Rajasthan Royals, this was relief after a long, draining league-stage race. They had stumbled in the back end of the season, but when the equation became simple, win and qualify, they delivered. And now, their reward is a knockout clash against SRH, with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma waiting for Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi in what already looks like a high-voltage Eliminator.
