IPL 2026 Playoff Qualification Scenarios: With 4 matches to go, what RR, PBKS, KKR and DC need to grab final spot - paths for each team explained

The race for the final IPL 2026 playoff spot is down to four teams after Gujarat Titans crushed Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs in Ahmedabad to officially eliminate CSK from contention and almost seal a top-two finish for themselves. Three teams who are already confirmed for the playoffs are Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, while the fight for the last remaining berth is now between Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals. GT almost lock in top-two finish, RCB and SRH battle for remaining spot GT’s emphatic win took them to 18 points with an NRR of +0.

695, but it was still not enough to overtake table-toppers’ RCB’s NRR. RCB take on SRH today for their last league game, and they only need to avoid a massive defeat against SRH in Hyderabad to maintain their top spot. A win will take them to 20 points and punch their ticket for Qualifier 1.

However, SRH have everything to play for despite their qualification. To leapfrog GT and even RCB secure a place in Qualifier 1 (top-two finish), they would need an extraordinary margin of victory against RCB. If they bat first, they will likely need to win by around 87-89 runs, depending on RCB’s first innings total being between 180-240.

If chasing, they may need to hunt down targets in under 12 overs. And if that happens, RCB could also drop dow nto third and will have to play the eliminator. RR frontrunner for the final playoff spot RR remain favourites to grab the final playoff berth.