Four teams remained in contention for the final IPL 2026 playoff berth as the league stage concluded, with Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings separated by narrow points and net run-rate margins.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad had already secured the top three positions. RR, KKR, PBKS and CSK entered the final calculation needing favorable results from remaining fixtures and tiebreakers to claim fourth place.
IPL 2026 set a scoring record with 56 team totals above 200 runs, the most in any edition. High aggregate run rates complicated net run-rate scenarios for teams level on points.
The fourth qualifier would join SRH in the eliminator round while the top two advanced directly to Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala. League standings remained fluid until the last match-day results were finalized.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings both possessed experienced squads capable of match-winning spells on Indian pitches. Chennai Super Kings’ playoff hopes depended on other results after GT’s win over CSK ended their direct qualification path earlier in the week.
IPL playoff rules award two chances to top-two finishers, making fourth place valuable but less advantageous than the direct Qualifier 1 berths secured by RCB, GT and SRH.
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Sources:
https://www.outlookindia.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2026-updated-points-table-after-match-67-indian-premier-league-srh-vs-rcb-ahmedabad