Mumbai: Three teams were in contention to grab the last playoff berth on the final day of league action in IPL 2026.
Rajasthan Royals had to win on Sunday to qualify as the fourth-placed team, while Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders were praying for Rajasthan’s loss and then hoping to sneak through on superior net run-rate.
As it turned out on a hot and humid day at Wankhede Stadium, Rajasthan Royals comfortably beat Mumbai Indians by 30 runs to finish their league campaign with 16 points. Punjab Kings (15) and Knight Riders (maximum 15 if they beat Delhi Capitals tonight) were thus eliminated from the playoffs race.
The men in pink erupted in the Rajasthan Royals dugout after restricting Mumbai Indians to 175/9, in pursuit of their 205/8.
One of the happiest faces was that of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He failed to get going today, falling for 4. But what the boy wonder has done throughout this IPL season has left every cricket lover yearning for more.
No. 5 on the scorers’ list with 583 runs, highest strike rate of 232.27, a mind-boggling 50 sixes in 14 games – no one is complaining that the kid from Bihar will be in action again soon.
League toppers and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face No. 2 Gujarat Titans (GT), followed by third-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
BUSINESS END FIXTURES
Qualifier 1: RCB vs GT —May 26 at Dharamsala.
Eliminator: SRH vs RR — May 27 at New Chandigarh
Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator – May 29 at New Chandigarh
Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 – May 31 at Motera, Ahmedabad.
