Chennai Super Kings Qualification Scenario: Chennai Super Kings suffered their sixth loss of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season to Lucknow Super Giants. The five-time champions now have 12 points from 12 games and would have to win their remaining two games to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs. They will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in the final two games of the season. Both of these teams are placed higher on the points table than CSK and are in the race to the playoffs as well as a potential top-two finish.
In LSG vs CSK, it was Mitchell Marsh who played the match-winning knock for the Super Giants with the bat in hand in the second innings. After scoring 187 runs in the first innings, Ruturaj Gaikwad and his men would have thought that the total was defendable on a pitch that was not easy to bat on. However, Marsh scored 90 runs in only 38 balls to put the Super Giants in the driving seat. Despite three quick wickets, the hosts won the match by seven wickets with 20 balls to spare.
LSG vs CSK: Is Chennai Super Kings Knocked Out of IPL 2026?
No, Chennai Super Kings, despite losing against the Lucknow Super Giants, has not been knocked out of the race to the IPL 2026 playoffs. With 12 points in 12 games, CSK can finish with 16 points, and that might be enough to make it to the playoffs. However, the Super Kings would be massively hurt by the margin of their loss tonight, which has taken a hit on their net run rate.
Also Read: IPL 2026 Points Table After LSG vs CSK
LSG vs CSK: How can Chennai Super Kings Qualify for IPL 2026 Playoffs?
Chennai Super Kings, after losing to Lucknow Super Giants, can finish with a maximum of 16 points. The five-time champions can still qualify for the playoffs by winning both of their remaining two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. There are at least five teams that could finish with 16 or more points, even if the Super Kings win each of their two games.
Chennai Super Kings would now want a couple of results from other games to go in their favour. For a team with such a rich history, being dependent on the results of other teams is a position that CSK would not want to find itself.
CSK Qualification Scenario: Focus on PBKS and RR
Punjab Kings (4th) and Rajasthan Royals (5th) are placed directly above the Chennai Super Kings on the IPL 2026 points table. PBKS with 13 points could finish with more than CSK’s potential 16 if they win their remaining two games. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals could finish level with CSK if they win two of their next three games. If the Royals go on to win all of their matches, they, too, would finish with more points than the Super Kings.
LSG vs CSK: Chennai Super Kings Remaining Fixtures
Chennai Super Kings have two games remaining in the IPL 2026 league stage. They will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad on the 18th of May at home in M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. For their final league stage game, CSK will travel to Ahmedabad to face the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
