IPL 2026 | LSG’s playoff hopes alive? How Rishabh Pant’s men can still make top 4

Lucknow Super Giants suffered their seventh defeat of IPL 2026, going down to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (May 4). LSG posted huge 228/5, powered by Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 63 off 21 balls and a valuable 44 from Mitchell Marsh. In reply, Mumbai took control early, with Rohit Sharma (84 off 44) and Ryan Rickelton (83 off 32) putting on a commanding 143-run opening stand to guide the chase in 18.4 overs and seal a six-wicket win.

After the match, Pant admitted that his team would need a fair bit of “luck” to remain in contention for a top-four finish. He isn’t wrong, as LSG are now heavily dependent on the results of the other teams.

However, on the positive side, LSG’s record - nine matches, two wins and seven losses, are same as MI’s before this game. And if MI can still qualify, so can LSG.

Also Read - Who won yesterday's IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants? check result

What LSG must do to qualify

• For LSG, though, the margin for error is gone. They must win all five of their remaining fixtures, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings (twice), Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings to reach 14 points.
• Strong teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, RR and PBKS should keep winning and move ahead to 16+ points.
• Teams like RCB and Gujarat Titans should lose most of their matches and stay at 14 points or less.
• The mid-table group, including CSK, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders should not go on winning streaks. LSG’s two remaining games against CSK offer a direct chance to limit one rival, but the others must drop points elsewhere.
  
  If all these conditions fall into place, LSG could go into a tie for the fourth playoff spot at 14 points. However, with a poor Net Run Rate of -1.106, they would also need big wins in their last few final matches to stay competitive on the tiebreaker.