IPL points table and scenarios: Are DC still alive in playoffs race after beating Punjab Kings?

Delhi Capitals avenged their six-wicket defeat at the hands of Punjab Kings in Delhi earlier this season by inflicting a three-wicket loss on Shreyas Iyer's men at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium on Monday. The previous PBKS-DC fixture had witnessed over 500 runs being scored, with the Kings breaking their own record for the highest successful chase in IPL history, hunting down a mammoth 265 with more than an over to spare.

The second meeting of the season between these two teams – in the first game of the season in Dharamsala – wasn't quite the run-fest that Arun Jaitley Stadium had witnessed on 25 April, although both teams did post scores above 200. Put in to bat by the Capitals, the Kings posted 210/6 thanks to half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer (59 not out) and opener Priyansh Arya (56).

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The 2025 IPL runners-up then appeared to have the game in the bag after reducing DC to 14/2, and later 33/3, in the powerplay. Delhi's middle and lower order, however, came to the team's rescue this time. Captain Axar Patel (56) and David Miller (51) first resurrected the chase with half-centuries while the lower-order trio of Ashutosh Sharma (24), Madhav Tiwari (18 not out) and Auqib Nabi (10 not out) ensured the team got over the line in the end with an over to spare.

Delhi and Punjab scenarios

Here's how the result in Monday's fixture at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium affects DC and PBKS' campaigns.

Delhi Capitals: Axar and Co had arrived in Dharamsala with five losses in their last six matches and were in danger of joining Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians in getting eliminated from the playoffs race with another defeat on Monday. With their victory over PBKS, DC live to fight another day, keeping their feeble playoff hopes alive for now.

The Capitals have two matches left this season – against Rajasthan Royals at home on Sunday and against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens exactly a week later, giving them plenty of rest between games. They will, however, have to win both games if they are to stand a chance of making it to the top four, though their fate will also be dependent on other results.

Overall, they can only reach a maximum of 14 points, but three teams already have that much, and a few others can also surpass that tally. This clearly means that DC can only reach the playoffs if some of the teams in the race suddenly suffer a big loss in form.

Punjab Kings: PBKS have now lost four matches in a row after starting the season with a seven-match unbeaten run – which included a washout against KKR at Eden – and appeared set to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Form, however, appears to have mysteriously deserted Iyer's men in the middle of the season and their losing streak threatens to derail their playoff hopes that they would have taken for granted at one stage.

The good news for Punjab fans is that they remain among the top four despite their sudden decline, unlike the Rajasthan Royals, who were also among the top four for a majority of the season but suddenly find themselves at the sixth spot. PBKS also have an additional game in hand compared to DC – against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamsala on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. They then play their final game of the league stage against Lucknow Super Giants away from home.

Winning at least one of these three games could potentially be enough for the Kings to qualify, but captain Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting will be hoping to avoid leaving their fate in the hands of other teams and seal their top-four place with at least two wins. That will take them to 17 points and 16 have been the cutoff in last three seasons.

IPL points table

Let's take a look at other teams. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are leading the table with 14 points from 11 matches, ahead of second-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans on net run rate.

So far, only the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have been eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff race. Leaving them and DC, all other teams have a good chance of reaching the playoffs if results favour them.

As 16 points have been the cutoff for playoffs in the last three seasons, RCB, SRH, GT, PBKS, CSK, RR and Kolkata Knight Riders are all firmly alive in the race.