NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is entering its final week of the league stage, with only one team having secured a spot in the playoffs so far. Two teams have already been eliminated, leaving seven teams still in contention for a top-four finish. With just eight league matches remaining, the race for the playoffs is heating up.
Key Matches in the Final Week
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), still alive in the playoff race, will host fellow top-four contenders Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. This will be CSK's final home league game of the season.
On Tuesday, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will aim to revive their playoff hopes after three consecutive defeats. They will host the already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur.
A day later, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face a similar task as they take on another eliminated side, Mumbai Indians (MI), at Eden Gardens.
Thursday sees CSK travel to Ahmedabad to face the almost-qualified Gujarat Titans (GT). On Friday, SRH will host the only team already qualified, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Punjab Kings (PBKS), after six consecutive defeats, will look for a miracle when they play LSG in Lucknow on Saturday.
The final double-header on Sunday will feature MI hosting RR at Wankhede Stadium, followed by KKR taking on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the last league match of the season at Eden Gardens.
Full Schedule (18-24 May)
- May 18 (Monday): Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7:30 PM, Chennai
- May 19 (Tuesday): Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants, 7:30 PM, Jaipur
- May 20 (Wednesday): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
- May 21 (Thursday): Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad
- May 22 (Friday): Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad
- May 23 (Saturday): Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, 7:30 PM, Lucknow
- May 24 (Sunday): Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 3:30 PM, Mumbai
- May 24 (Sunday): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Stay updated with the latest IPL Live Score, news, schedule, points table, and the race for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
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