As the race for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season playoffs has reached its final stage, the competition has become more exciting. With less than two weeks left in the league phase, not a single team has officially qualified for the playoffs so far. Currently Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are on top with 14 points from 11 matches. Punjab Kings are fourth with 13 points from 11 matches. And Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) teams are at the fifth and sixth positions respectively with 12 points.
Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are also not completely out of playoffs. While Delhi has 10 points in 12 matches, KKR has 9 points in 10 matches. However, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have already officially left the race for the playoffs. With each team playing a total of 14 matches in the league stage, the equation is likely to change till the end.
After the IPL became a 10-team tournament, 16 points was generally considered the ‘magic number’ to qualify for the playoffs. RCB in 2022, Mumbai in 2023, Mumbai once again in 2025 with 16 points and reached the playoffs by finishing fourth. But in 2024 four teams are equal with 14 points. RCB secured a playoffs berth due to better net run rate at that time. It is known that the points for the official playoffs are 18.
According to the estimates of the official broadcasters of IPL, currently Gujarat Titans, RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad teams have 80 percent chances of reaching the playoffs. While Punjab Kings have 62.5 percent chances, Chennai Super Kings have 42.7 percent chances and Rajasthan Royals have 41.8 percent chances. It seems that KKR has only 11.6 percent and Delhi Capitals only 1.2 percent. RCB, SRH and GT teams are almost certain to make it to the playoffs. Punjab, Chennai and Rajasthan will be competing for one final spot. Out of these three, Punjab is leading the race. Let’s see which teams will make it to the playoffs.
