IPL Playoff Scenario: Rajasthan Royals hold destiny in their own hands and 4th place

Rajasthan Royals have strengthened their position as favorites to secure the fourth play-off spot in the Indian Premier League 2026. On Tuesday, May 19 Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s stunning 38-ball 93 propelled Rajasthan to a successful chase of 221 with five balls remaining.

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After Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Monday, 13 points seemed enough to keep the teams in playoff contention. However, Rajasthan’s win over Lucknow effectively pushed the qualification margin to 14 points, leaving Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Chennai in need of a stronger finish to stay in the race.

With six games remaining in the league stage, the battle for the final play-off spot is now expected to intensify.

Here’s how the playoff scenario looks like in IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan left their destiny in their own hands with a win over Lucknow. If they manage to win their last league game, they will qualify for the play-offs with no problems with pure pace.

With 14 points, they still remain in contention but Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders can still knock them out. PBKS and KKR can also overtake them on points, while DC and CSK can only match their total before pure speed comes into play.

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May 24: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians

Punjabi kings

For Punjab, the equation is now straightforward. After Rajasthan’s win over Lucknow, Punjab slipped from the top four to fifth place in the points table. They now need a win in their last league game to stay alive in the competition.

Even if they reach 15 points, Kolkata and Rajasthan can still eliminate them by passing them on points. Defeat in their last league game will officially knock them out of contention for the playoffs.

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May 23: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants

Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals

Chennai and Delhi are in a similar position, both with 12 points from 13 matches. Both sides need to win their final league game to stay in contention for the play-offs, although victory alone will not guarantee qualification.

The key difference between the two teams lies in pure run rate. Chennai has a slight advantage with a net rate of -0.016 compared to Delhi’s -0.871. This could prove to be decisive if multiple teams finish on the same points.

However, if either side loses their final match, they will be eliminated from the competition.

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CSK

May 21: Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans

May 24: Delhi Capitals Vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

Knight Riders of Calcutta

For Kolkata, the equation has also become simpler. The Knight Riders need to win their last two league matches to stay in the play-offs. Even if they reach 15 points, qualification is not guaranteed as Rajasthan can still overtake them on points.

Punjab can also match them for points and remove them on pure run rate. A single defeat in any of their remaining league fixtures will end their campaign and knock them out of the competition.

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May 24: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

20 May 2026 0:24 IST