Chennai Super Kings meets Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on May 15 knowing that a victory will be crucial if it is to qualify for the IPL 2026 Playoffs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s side is currently fifth with 12 points from 11 matches, and a Net-Run-Rate of +0.185.

How can CSK qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs?

A victory at the Ekana Stadium on Friday will move it past Punjab Kings into fourth, and if the margin of victory is sufficiently larger, it could move past Sunrisers Hyderabad into third.

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However, a defeat by a sufficient margin would see it drop to sixth. It would also likely need two wins from its final two matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in order to qualify for the Playoffs.

LSG has already been knocked out of the tournament.

Published on May 15, 2026