RCB, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad qualify

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad had secured places in the IPL 2026 playoffs by Tuesday, leaving one berth open with seven league-stage matches still to play. ESPNcricinfo's qualification scenarios page listed Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals as the five teams still in contention for fourth place. The latest shift came on May 18, when Sunrisers beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in Chennai. That result sent Sunrisers through and also confirmed Gujarat's place in the playoffs, ESPNcricinfo reported. ### How did Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans get over the line? Sunrisers Hyderabad reached 181 for 5 in 19 overs on May 18 to chase down Chennai Super Kings' 180 for 7 at Chepauk, according to ESPNcricinfo's match report and scorecard. Ishan Kishan made 70 off 47 balls, Heinrich Klaasen added 47, and Pat Cummins returned figures of 3 for 28. That May 18 win was enough to put Sunrisers into the playoffs and, because of the points permutations, also took Gujarat Titans through, ESPNcricinfo said. Chennai remained mathematically alive after the defeat, but the same report said CSK were "not out yet" rather than secure. ### When did Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualify? Royal Challengers Bengaluru had already sealed a playoff place before the Chennai-Sunrisers match, according to ESPNcricinfo's scenarios coverage published on May 18. That earlier piece said RCB were the only team already in the final four after beating Punjab Kings on Sunday. By Tuesday, the field had narrowed further. ESPNcricinfo's updated scenarios page showed three teams confirmed - RCB, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad - with only one place left to be decided. ### Which five teams are still fighting for the last berth? Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals were the five teams still alive as of May 19, ESPNcricinfo said. Among those sides, the scenarios page said only Rajasthan could qualify without depending on other results. Rajasthan had two matches left - against Lucknow Super Giants at home and Mumbai Indians away - and ESPNcricinfo said two wins would take them into the top four. The same scenarios page listed Punjab, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi as still in contention but needing results elsewhere to go their way to varying degrees. ### Why is Chennai still in the race after losing to Sunrisers? Chennai Super Kings stayed alive mathematically despite the May 18 loss, according to ESPNcricinfo's match report. The report did not place them among the qualifiers, but said the team was still in contention. The margin for Chennai is narrow. ESPNcricinfo's scenarios coverage listed CSK among the five teams competing for the last spot, with only seven league matches left across the tournament. ### What happens next in the playoff race? Seven league matches remained in the IPL 2026 regular season as of Tuesday, according to ESPNcricinfo's updated scenarios page. Those fixtures will decide which of Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders or Delhi Capitals joins RCB, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. Kolkata Knight Riders were due to play Mumbai Indians next, ESPNcricinfo's schedule listings showed, while Rajasthan still had matches left against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians. The official IPL points table continued to track the standings heading into the final week of the league phase.