Kolkata: Every IPL season has its share of surprises but usually a mid-table scramble keeps playoff equations alive until the final week. This season feels different though.
The points table, with the business end still some way to go, looks unusually decisive, making the tournament feel almost lopsided. Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals look comfortably placed, leaving behind a chasing pack that already looks to be running out of runway.
Mathematically, 14 to 16 points has always been the safety mark in the IPL playoffs race. As of now, Punjab Kings were one point away from hitting that zone, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, SRH and Rajasthan Royals tightly packed together on 12 points. All this, with still 28 matches to go before the end of the league phase.
Had it not been for their batting meltdown, RCB would have probably breached that threshold on Thursday itself. But Gujarat Titans (now on 10 points) held their nerve to become the fifth team this season to reach the double figure mark. Five other teams were not only in single digits, but also trailing Titans by at least four points. These are staggering numbers in the context of the IPL, which has always found ways to remain dynamic and competitive.
Before 2026, the earliest that four teams had touched 12 or more points was in 2025, but even then two teams were on their tail with 11 and 10 points. Before 2025, it took even longer for teams to reach 12 points or more. In 2023 for example, only one team—Gujarat Titans—had reached 12 points after 40 matches. It took 16 more matches for three more teams to join the Titans with at least 12 points.
The biggest reason 2026 has looked so lopsided is because of the sustained slump of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants at the same time when RCB, Punjab Kings, RR and SRH have broken away with their ‘high-risk, high-reward’ approach to T20. You can see that in the stark net run rates which have become an amplifier of dominance—PBKS and RCB sitting on healthy 1plus NRR, SRH and RR above .5 while the rest of the pack is struggling with negative returns.
It underscores how the leading teams are not only winning but also winning big. Heavy victories have inflated their NRR to a point where even a loss or two barely would affect their playoff chances. Conversely, teams on the wrong end of these results have been doubly punished—they lose points and fall further behind on NRR, making recovery exponentially harder. The table, as a result, begins to lock itself much earlier than usual.
The disparity in points doesn’t raise a question over the talent, but a wider range of issues. Teams like KKR and Mumbai Indians have suffered because of uneven distribution of talent. Too many decision makers could be hindering LSG. Tactics have played a role as well. Some sides have been smarter in fully embracing the format’s evolving dynamics—aggressive powerplay scoring, flexible batting orders, and a sophisticated use of the Impact Player rule. Some, however, seem caught between eras, their indecision showing up in predictable batting patterns and reactive captaincy. Against smarter, well-drilled opponents, such rigidity gets exposed quickly, as it has been happening this season.