The final playoff position in IPL 2026 remained undecided after Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs in the last league-stage match, reshaping the points table heading into the knockout round.
SRH posted 255 for four at Hyderabad but could not achieve the roughly 90-run margin needed to overtake Gujarat Titans for second place. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished atop the table with 18 points and a superior net run rate, securing a direct berth in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat on May 26 in Dharamsala.
Sunrisers finished third with 16 points and will play in the Eliminator on May 27 in Mullanpur. Three franchises had already qualified before the final league game: RCB, Gujarat Titans and SRH.
Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals remained in contention for the fourth and final playoff spot. RR held 14 points and could qualify with a win in its remaining match, while PBKS and KKR each had 13 points with one game left. Net run rate calculations were expected to determine the final qualifier depending on results in the remaining fixtures.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished with 18 points and a net run rate of 1.065 despite losing the final league match. Gujarat Titans held 18 points with a net run rate of 0.695. Delhi Capitals remained mathematically alive but faced near-impossible net run rate requirements to qualify.
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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