CSK Drops to Sixth Position      (CSK )   

IPL: In the 19th season of the Indian Premier League, while only two teams have been eliminated from the race for the playoffs so far, not a single team has officially managed to qualify for the playoffs despite 59 league matches having been played. The Lucknow Super Giants have now further complicated the playoff qualification scenario; their 7-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings      (CSK )   has benefited the Rajasthan Royals, while the path forward for CSK now appears significantly more challenging.

CSK Drops to Sixth, Rajasthan Rises to Fifth
Looking at the IPL 2026 points table after the 59th league match, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore, sit at the top, followed by Gujarat Titans in second place, with both teams tied on 16 points each. In third place is Sunrisers Hyderabad, with 14 points from 12 matches, while Punjab Kings currently occupy the fourth spot with 13 points. Rajasthan Royals—who were in sixth place prior to the match between Lucknow and CSK—have now climbed to fifth place with 12 points (six wins from 11 matches) and a Net Run Rate of 0.082. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings, with 12 points (six wins and six losses from 12 matches), have dropped to sixth place, holding a Net Run Rate of 0.027.

Delhi’s Chances Also Remain Intact
Regarding the bottom four positions in the points table, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians currently occupy the 10th and 9th spots, respectively. Both teams have accumulated 8 points each and have already been eliminated from the race for the playoffs. Meanwhile, occupying the 7th spot is the Delhi Capitals team, with a total of 10 points from 12 matches—including five wins—and a net run rate of -0.993. Consequently, the Delhi Capitals still harbor hopes of reaching the playoffs. On the other hand, for the Kolkata Knight Riders, currently placed at number 8, reaching the playoffs now appears to be an extremely difficult task, even though they have not yet been officially eliminated from the race. KKR currently has just 9 points from 11 matches, with a net run rate of -0.198.