Ahmedabad, May 21: Chennai Super Kings will keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive if they manage to defeat Gujarat Titans in their final league-stage clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. A win would take CSK to 14 points from 14 matches and keep them mathematically in contention for the final playoff spot.
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Victory Alone Not Enough
However, victory alone will not be enough for Chennai to qualify. Since this is their last group-stage match, the five-time champions will have to depend on several other results going in their favour over the weekend.
If CSK lose to Gujarat Titans, they will be officially knocked out of the IPL 2026 season with 12 points. But if they win, they could temporarily move up the points table depending on the margin of victory and improvement in Net Run Rate (NRR).
Qualification Scenario
For CSK to finish in the top four alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, a perfect set of results must follow. Punjab Kings need to lose to Lucknow Super Giants, while Kolkata Knight Riders must lose to Delhi Capitals. In addition, Rajasthan Royals also need to lose against Mumbai Indians.
'Mujhe Laga Pipe Kharab Hai': Rashid Khan Leaves Fans In Splits With Hilarious Mix-Up Ahead Of GT vs CSK IPL 2026 Match | VideoEven if all those results happen, CSK's qualification may still come down to Net Run Rate. Rajasthan Royals would remain on 14 points if they lose, meaning CSK would need a big win over Gujarat Titans and hope RR suffer a heavy defeat to Mumbai Indians to close the current NRR gap.
Despite the difficult equation, a win against Gujarat Titans would at least ensure that CSK remain alive in the playoff race until the final round of league matches.