After a slow start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, the Chennai Super Kings are back in the hunt for the playoffs, having won three of their remaining four matches in the ongoing campaign. With just 4 more games to go, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led franchise would hope to pick up 8 more points and comfortably qualify for the next round. But the competition for the top 4 spots is quite intense, with none of the 10 teams mathematically out of the race yet.
The likes of Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru occupy the top two spots in the IPL 2026 points table, with 13 and 12 points respectively. Though the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans also have 12 points each, PBKS and RCB have played one game less than SRH, RR, and GT.
Qualification scenario for all 10 teams in IPL 2026:
PBKS: Need 2 wins from 5 games to hit 17 points, which guarantees qualification. Even 1 win might suffice given their healthy NRR (+0.855).
RCB: Need 2-3 wins to reach 16-18 points. Their massive NRR (+1.420) is a major advantage; they could likely qualify on 14 points too if other results go their way.
SRH: Need 2 wins from 4 matches to reach the safe 16-point mark. Their strong batting lineup keeps their NRR (+0.644) healthy for tie-breakers.
RR: Similar to SRH, they need 2 wins to hit 16. However, their form has been patchy, and they must maintain their NRR (+0.510) to stay ahead of the teams trailing them.
GT: Tied on points with the Top 4 but hampered by a negative NRR (-0.147). They need to win at least 2 of their last 4 games by significant margins to improve their NRR and leapfrog RR or SRH.
CSK: Must win at least 3 out of 4 games to reach 16 points. Their NRR (+0.151) is positive, which could be vital if multiple teams finish on 14 or 16 points.
DC: There is no margin for error. They must win all remaining matches to reach 16 points. A single loss makes them heavily dependent on others losing. They also need their fortunes in terms of win margins to change, as the current NRR (-0.949) could prove to be a big hurdle.
KKR: Must win all 5 remaining games to reach 17 points. Their poor NRR (-0.539) means even 4 wins (15 points) might not be enough.
MI: The maximum possible points is 14. They must win everything and hope the teams currently on 12 points lose almost all their remaining fixtures. Their NRR (-0.649) is a significant hurdle in their top 4 hopes.
LSG: Virtually eliminated. Even if they win all 5 games (reaching 14 points), their catastrophic NRR (-1.076) makes qualification nearly impossible in a 10-team format.