IPL News Bulletin May 25: RR Reach Playoffs, DC Beat KKR and Sachin Sends Message to Arjun

The IPL 2026 playoff picture is finally complete. Rajasthan Royals secured the final qualification spot with a crucial win over Mumbai Indians, knocking out both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Elsewhere, Delhi Capitals signed off their campaign with a convincing victory, while concerns emerged around Riyan Parag's fitness heading into the knockout stage.

1. Rajasthan Royals seal final playoff berth; PBKS and KKR eliminated

Rajasthan Royals became the fourth and final team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs after defeating Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

The victory lifted RR to 16 points, enough to finish fourth and move beyond the reach of both Punjab Kings (15 points) and Kolkata Knight Riders, whose maximum possible tally was also 15. As a result, both franchises were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

IPL 2026 Playoffs Line-up

• Qualifier 1 (May 26, Dharamsala): RCB vs GT
• Eliminator (May 27, New Chandigarh): SRH vs RR
• Qualifier 2 (May 29, New Chandigarh)
• Final (May 31, Ahmedabad)

At the other end of the table, Mumbai Indians finished ninth while Lucknow Super Giants ended the season at the bottom.

2. Riyan Parag admits he is "definitely not fit" ahead of Eliminator

Despite captaining Rajasthan Royals to a playoff-clinching victory, Riyan Parag revealed after the match that he is still struggling with a hamstring injury.

The RR skipper admitted:

"I'm definitely not fit. I was not supposed to play today. I'm not supposed to play another game."

Yet when asked whether he would feature in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Parag's response was simple:

"Yeah, of course."

The captain also expressed frustration that RR left qualification until the final day, saying the team "should have qualified way earlier" after letting several opportunities slip throughout the campaign.

3. Delhi Capitals sign off with dominant 40-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders

Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2026 season on a high by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 40 runs.

Match summary

Delhi Capitals: 203/5

• KL Rahul 60 (30)
• Axar Patel 39 (25)
• David Miller 28 (19)

Kolkata Knight Riders:163 all out

• Ajinkya Rahane 63
• Kuldeep Yadav 3/29
• Lungi Ngidi 3/27

Rahul's explosive 30-ball fifty laid the platform before Miller and Ashutosh Sharma finished strongly at the death.

KKR never fully recovered after losing wickets regularly during the chase, with Kuldeep Yadav's middle-overs spell proving decisive.

The result was ultimately irrelevant to qualification after RR's earlier victory had already eliminated KKR.

4. Hemang Badani explains where Delhi Capitals' season slipped away

Delhi Capitals assistant coach Hemang Badani believes "small margins" cost his side a playoff place rather than any major structural issue.

Delhi finished on 14 points, just one win short of qualification.

Badani highlighted several costly moments:

• A one-run defeat against Gujarat Titans
• Failure to defend 264
• Dropped catches in key matches
• Repeated batting collapses
• Inability to take wickets at crucial moments

He also acknowledged the disruption caused by Mitchell Starc missing the opening half of the season, although he stopped short of using it as an excuse.

Badani remains optimistic about DC's future and singled out young pacer Auqib Nabi as one of the season's biggest positives.

5. Travis Head's wife speaks out after online abuse following Virat Kohli clash

Travis Head's wife Jessica Head has revealed she and members of her family received abusive messages following the Australian batter's heated on-field exchange with Virat Kohli during SRH's victory over RCB.

Jessica said the abuse extended beyond the players themselves and targeted friends and family members.

According to her, similar incidents occurred following Australia's victories over India in:

• The 2023 ODI World Cup final
• The World Test Championship final
• The 2024 Boxing Day Test

She called for greater kindness and perspective in online sporting discussions, stressing that families are often affected by fan behaviour.

6. Sachin Tendulkar praises Arjun after long-awaited IPL opportunity

Sachin Tendulkar posted an emotional message for son Arjun Tendulkar after the left-arm pacer finally received his first opportunity of IPL 2026 for Lucknow Super Giants.

Arjun had waited the entire season before making his debut for LSG in their final league match against Punjab Kings.

Sachin described cricket as a game that tests patience as much as skill and encouraged Arjun to remain grounded and continue enjoying the sport.