Chennai Super Kings’ comprehensive defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on May 21 means that it has become the third team to be eliminated from contention for the IPL 2026 Playoffs.
CSK’s defeat on Thursday night means that it finishes the season on 12 points, two points behind Rajasthan Royals in fourth.
Four teams — Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals — remain in contention to join Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Playoffs.
Here is how each team can still qualify for the Playoffs:
Rajasthan Royals - P13 W7 L6 - 14 points
Rajasthan Royals has the easiest route to qualification. A win in its final match against Mumbai Indians will be enough to secure a spot in the final four irrespective of other results. If it loses, it will need Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders to lose their final games.
Remaining fixtures: Mumbai Indians (A)
Punjab Kings - P13 W6 L6 NR 1 - 13 points
Despite having lost six in a row, Punjab Kings still has a decent chance of making it to the Playoffs. If RR loses its final match, victory in its final match would put it in a strong position to qualify. Its Net Run Rate (+0.227) is greater than Kolkata Knight Riders’ (+0.011), and it will need to win by a margin which Kolkata Knight Riders cannot exceed if the latter wins its last match.
Defeat will confirm its elimination.
Remaining fixtures: Lucknow Super Giants (A)
Kolkata Knight Riders - P13 W6 L6 NR 1 - 13 points
Kolkata Knight Riders also has a viable chance of making it to the final four. If RR and PBKS both lose their matches, a win will take Ajinkya Rahane’s side through. If RR loses and PBKS wins, it will need to win its last match by a big enough margin to overhaul the deficit in Net Run Rate with PBKS.
Remaining fixtures: Delhi Capitals (H)
Delhi Capitals - P13 W6 L7 - 12 point
Delhi Capitals is on the verge of elimination, and has no realistic chance of qualification. If all both RR and PBKS lose their final matches, it will still need to defeat KKR by a near-impossible margin of victory to qualify for the Playoffs.
Remaining fixtures: Kolkata Knight Riders (A)
Published on May 21, 2026