Delhi Capitals (DC) kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a crucial victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday night in Delhi. The win not only delayed their elimination from the tournament but also ensured that the race for the final playoff positions remains wide open heading into the final week of the league stage.
Led by Axar Patel, Delhi produced a composed performance under pressure to stay mathematically alive in the competition. More importantly, the result pushed DC to 12 points from 13 matches and gave them one final opportunity to fight for a place in the top four.
Playoff scenario for DC
Despite keeping themselves alive with the win over Rajasthan, Delhi no longer have qualification in their own hands. The equation for Axar’s men is simple, as they must win their final league-stage fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 24. If DC manage to defeat KKR, they will finish with 14 points. However, even that may not guarantee qualification because several direct competitors are still in stronger positions on both points and Net Run Rate.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals currently remain ahead in the playoff race and can each finish on 16 points if they win their remaining matches. This means Delhi will need both CSK and RR to lose all of their remaining league fixtures to keep the door open for the fourth playoff spot.
Kolkata Knight Riders can still finish with 15 points if they win both of their remaining matches. That makes Delhi’s clash against Kolkata effectively a knockout game, as a DC victory would simultaneously stop KKR from moving beyond 14 points. Punjab Kings could also become an important factor in the qualification race. Delhi would ideally want PBKS to lose their remaining game to avoid further complications in the standings.
Net Run Rate could become DC’s biggest obstacle
While the victory over the Rajasthan Royals kept Delhi alive mathematically, their Net Run Rate (NRR) remains a massive concern. DC currently have an NRR of -0.871, which is significantly worse than most of its direct competitors. Teams like CSK and RR currently possess slightly positive NRRs, while Ajinkya Rahane’s side remains only marginally negative. This gives all three sides a major advantage if teams finish level on points.
For Delhi Capitals, simply winning against KKR may not be enough anymore. They may need a dominant victory in their final match to significantly improve their NRR and give themselves a realistic chance in possible tie-break scenarios. As a result, DC’s most realistic qualification route now depends on CSK and RRR losing all their remaining matches while Delhi themselves secure a convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
