Indian Premier League 2026 playoff race took another dramatic turn as Rajasthan Royals climbed to fourth place in the standings with a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Chasing a massive target of 221, Rajasthan Royals rode on a sensational 93-run knock from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to seal a crucial win with five balls to spare. The teenager continued his dream season and became the first teenager in IPL history to score 500 runs in a single edition. He also broke Jos Buttler’s record for the most sixes in a season for Rajasthan Royals and now has 53 sixes, second only to Chris Gayle’s all-time IPL record of 59.
Sooryavanshi was well supported by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel as RR strengthened their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants posted 220 runs thanks to a brilliant 96 from Mitchell Marsh, but the total eventually proved insufficient.
Meanwhile, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru continue to lead the IPL 2026 standings and remain the first team to officially qualify for the playoffs. Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad occupy the second and third spots respectively.
Lucknow Super Giants remain rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering their ninth defeat of the season. Despite being eliminated, they could still influence the playoff race when they face Punjab Kings in their final match.
IPL 2026 Points Table After RR vs LSG
| Position | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points | NRR |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 13 | 9 | 4 | 18 | 1.021 |
| 2 | Gujarat Titans | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.912 |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 0.655 |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0.241 |
| 5 | Punjab Kings | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 0.105 |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | -0.091 |
| 7 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 5 | 8 | 10 | -0.321 |
| 8 | Delhi Capitals | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | -0.445 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians | 13 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -0.611 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants | 13 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -0.784 |
