IPL 2026: KKR And RR Playoff Chances Explained After Punjab Kings Win Against Lucknow Super Giants

With one day left in the league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, an exhilarating race to qualify for the final playoff spot is underway. Following the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings’ thrashing of the Lucknow Super Giants by 7 wickets on Saturday at Ekana Cricket Stadium, both the Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals’ chances of qualification now hinge completely on their last league game as only the fourth spot for the playoff is open between both the teams with the other three slots occupied by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad. With Punjab Kings already reaching 15 points after the aforementioned win, the Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders, who possess stars like Rinku Singh, are on the brink of qualification with an elimination on the last league game on the cards.

Impact On Rajasthan Royals After Punjab Kings’ Victory

Currently, the Rajasthan Royals sit at 14 points from 13 matches with a Net Run Rate of 0.083. Following the massive win by the Punjab Kings, who now have 15 points, the equation for the Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan squad is clear and straightforward. The Rajasthan Royals must win their final match against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday afternoon. A victory will take the Rajasthan Royals to 16 points, ensuring they qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs as the fourth-best team without relying on Net Run Rate. However, if the Rajasthan Royals lose to the Mumbai Indians, they will remain stuck at 14 points, which will automatically eliminate them from the playoff race since the Punjab Kings already have 15 points.

What Kolkata Knight Riders Must Do To Qualify for IPL 2026 Playoffs?

The IPL 2026 playoff route for KKR is far more complicated. They are sitting on 13 points with 13 matches played with a Net Run Rate of 0.011. If they are to stand any chance of making the playoff stages, the three-time champions will need to rely on the Rajasthan losing their afternoon game to the Mumbai Indians, and then the Kolkata Knight Riders must win their late evening match against the Delhi Capitals by an extremely large margin. With just a win against Delhi, the Kolkata Knight Riders will only reach 15 points and be level with Punjab Kings, and they must have a very large winning margin to overcome their 0.309 Net Run Rate.

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