Playoff battle (Photo: PTI)
IPL 2026 In the 68th match, Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 7 wickets. Now Lucknow Super Giants did not suffer much loss due to this defeat because they were already out of the race for the playoffs. But it definitely happened to Delhi Capitals, whose hopes were completely dashed. From the Delhi team’s point of view, the defeat of Punjab Kings in this match was necessary. After Delhi being out of the playoff race, now the fight for the last spot is between RR, KKR and PBKS. Let us look at the equations of which of these three teams is expected to go to the playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals playoff equation
After the PBKS vs LSG match played on 23 May, the path to the playoffs for Rajasthan Royals is still the same as it was before. He has to win his match against Mumbai Indians. If they win, then the fight for the last spot in the playoffs will end there. After the win from Mumbai, Rajasthan Royals will have 16 points in 14 matches. Whereas PBKS has only 15 points in 14 matches. If KKR wins the match against DC then they will also reach only 15 points.
But, if Rajasthan loses the match against Mumbai Indians, then their hopes of playing playoffs will also end. In simple language, defeat against Mumbai would be like shooting itself in the foot for Rajasthan Royals.
KKR’s playoff equation
The defeat of Rajasthan Royals can create a chance for Kolkata Knight Riders to go to the playoffs. However, to capitalize on that opportunity, they will have to work hard. If Kolkata bats first against Delhi and scores 200 runs, then their victory margin should be 77 runs or more. Whereas if KKR chases runs then they will have to chase 180 plus score in 12 to 12.4 overs to have a better run rate than Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings playoff equation
The semi-final of playoff is very clear for Punjab Kings. Both Rajasthan Royals and KKR lose their matches. In this, the most important thing for Punjab Kings is the defeat of Rajasthan team. Because as soon as they win, Punjab will be out of the playoffs. In case of Rajasthan’s defeat, Punjab Kings can be out of the playoff race only if KKR improves its run rate by winning by a big margin. But, if KKR only wins, meaning their victory margin remains small, then it will be decided for Punjab Kings to play the playoffs.
