The IPL 2026 season has now reached the crucial juncture. 40 matches have been played so far. Now the picture of the playoffs is gradually becoming clear. While some teams are moving strongly towards the top-4, the path has become very difficult for some big teams. Punjab Kings are currently on top of the points table with 13 points from 8 matches, while Royal Challengers Bangalore remains at the second position with 12 points.
Rajasthan Royals are at third place with 12 points and Sunrisers Hyderabad are strongly in the race for the playoffs with 10 points. However, there has been a decline in Rajasthan’s recent form, which has made the match more interesting. In such a situation, it is now a do or die situation for teams like Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
In this season of IPL 2026, 10 teams are divided into two groups and each team plays 14 matches. Generally, teams scoring 16 points are considered certain to reach the playoffs. There is a possibility of qualifying even on 14 points but Net Run Rate (NRR) plays an important role in this. At the same time, it becomes very difficult for teams that reach 12 points to move forward, because they have to depend on the results of other teams.
Delhi Capitals: The performance of Delhi Capitals this season has been disappointing. Recently, against RCB, the team lost 6 wickets for just 13 runs in the powerplay and collapsed for 75 runs. After this defeat, his net run rate has fallen to -1.060. The team has 6 matches left, and to reach 16 points they will have to win at least 5. Otherwise, Delhi will have to win the next 4 matches with a good net run rate.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Kolkata Knight Riders are also struggling. The team is in 8th place with only 5 points in 8 matches. The win in the Super Over against Lucknow has certainly kept the hopes alive but now it is almost necessary for KKR to win every match. To qualify comfortably for the playoffs, Kolkata will have to win all the remaining 6 matches, taking their total points to 17. If they win 5 matches they will get 15 points. If KKR wins its next 4 matches then they will have only 13 points, due to which Kolkata can be out of the playoffs.
Mumbai Indians: The condition of Mumbai Indians is also worrying. The team is at number 9 with only 2 wins in 7 matches. After losing by 103 runs against Chennai, their net run rate has become -0.736. To make it to the playoffs, Mumbai will have to win at least 6 of its remaining 7 matches. Otherwise they will have to win at least 5 matches with a good net run rate, which will take their points total to 14.
Lucknow Super Giants: The situation of Lucknow Super Giants seems to be the worst. The team is at the last position with just 4 points from 8 matches and their net run rate is -1.106. Lucknow will have to win all its remaining 6 matches to remain in the race for the playoffs. Even a single defeat could almost knock them out of the playoffs.
