HYDERABAD, INDIA: The road to the IPL 2026 playoffs is wide open, with several teams still in with a chance of going through. Currently, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) sit on top of the table with 16 points in their kitty, having virtually booked their spot in the playoffs.
Gujarat Titans (GT), after a surprisingly slow start, are second with the same number of points. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are third and fourth with 14 and 13 points, respectively. While these teams may appear to have an edge over the others, the likes of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) can not be discounted.
SRH, PBKS, RR and CSK are neck-to-neck in the IPL 2026 table
These three sides are ranked fifth, sixth and seventh with 12, 12 and 10 points, respectively in the IPL 2026 table. As always, the race to the playoffs is complicated, with more than one contender vying for their place. RCB and GT, for now, appear to be the safest among the lot, and need just one victory – or even a no-result – to move ahead.
SRH and PBKS are still not assured of their spot, especially after the latter, after an unbeaten start to the season, have now lost five games in a row. SRH, for their part, were recently bowled out for 86 by GT in Ahmedabad, and that will dent their morale at the business end of the season. Looking at the fixtures of IPL 2026 can give fans a fair idea of which teams have the easiest road to the playoffs.
SRH, with two games in hand, face CSK and RCB, and will be extremely threatened by the quality of their opponents. For PBKS, while a home match against RCB on May 17 appears dangerous, they soon travel to Lucknow to play an already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). A victory at the Ekana Stadium can seal PBKS’ hopes even if they lose to RCB.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) appear to have an easy road to the IPL 2026 playoffs
RR, by far, have the easiest pathway, since they have three games in hand in which they play DC, LSG and Mumbai Indians (MI), the latter two having already been eliminated. Even if they lose to DC, victories over LSG and MI will give RR 16 points in the IPL 2026 table and some security.
CSK too have a tough road ahead, even though they will fancy themselves on a slowish track at home against SRH on May 18. They will then travel to play a red-hot GT in Ahmedabad. DC, with two games in hand, can earn a maximum of 14 points and will hope for other results to go in their favour.
While RR will do them no favours on May 17, they can expect some leeway from Kolkata Knight Riders, whom they play on May 24. Amongst all the sides in the fray, DC’s chances look the least optimistic. As mentioned earlier, RCB and GT already have a foot in the IPL 2026 playoffs, and now the next two spots will be fought for by the likes of SRH, PBKS, RR and CSK.
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