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And breathe! The league phase of the 2026 IPL has finally come to an end. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals march on to the playoff stage of the competition. While the journeys of the other six franchises have come to an end, it is safe to say that most of them did not go out quietly or without a fight during this final week of group-stage fixtures.
On May 25, Hyderabad booked their and Gujarat’s spots in the final four in an emphatic win over the Chennai Super Kings. The ‘Yellove Army’ were left disappointed prior to the game when it was confirmed their ‘Thala, MS Dhoni will not be playing at Chepauk this year, with rumors of his retirement flaring up more than ever. Chennai’s batting first call backfired with the rugged wicket on hand, as the hosts could muster up just 180/7, powered by Dewald Brevis and Kartik Sharma. The target as expected was no bother, with the in-form Ishan Kishan leading the charge yet again to give Hyderabad a five-wicket win, and taking themselves and Gujarat to the playoff stage, leaving only one spot open for five teams to fight for.
Rajasthan returned to winning ways against the already eliminated Lucknow Super Giants, with a relatively comfortable seven wicket win on Tuesday. Mitchell Marsh extended his great form with a thunderous 96, aided by Josh Inglis’ 60, whom Lucknow fans sorely regret not having for the first half of the season. Rajasthan were given a target of 221, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returned to his usual ways, but this time more mindfully, playing a wider range of shots rather than blindly swinging. His knock of 93 off 38 cleared the path for the Royals, and Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira saw through the win to keep Rajasthan alive.
Mumbai Indians failed to be party spoilers against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, losing at Eden Gardens in a low scoring affair. A lower order push from Corbin Bosch dragged Mumbai out from 95/6 to 147/8. Bosch contributed with the ball as well, taking 3/30, however he stood alone in the defense, as a patient innings of 45* from veteran Manish Pandey guided Kolkata to a four-wicket win.
Gujarat Titans brought an end to Chennai’s campaign with a whopping 89 run victory on Thursday. Sai Sudarshan kept his phenomenal form with 84 runs, backed by Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler’ fifties to get Gujarat up to 229/4. Chennai faltered unceremoniously, scoring rapidly but unable to keep wickets in a performance that perfectly summed up their lackluster season as they were bowled out for 140 in just the 14th over.
On Friday, Hyderabad grabbed a comfortable win by 55 runs over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but it was still an RCB victory as the defending champions secured their spot in the Qualifier 1 game, sending Hyderabad to the Eliminator. The Sunrisers scored a mammoth 255/4, once again led by Ishan Kishan smashing 79. Bengaluru entered the chase not targeting the win but scoring just enough to secure a top two finish. Skipper Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya annoyed the Hyderabad bowling with a drawn-out partnership, which featured limited hitting, but just enough to help Bengaluru finish on the top of the table due to the net run rate, leaving Hyderabad at third place and having only one chance to progress in the competition.
Punjab Kings at last ended their six-game losing run against Lucknow on Saturday with a seven-wicket victory. Inglis once again showed Lucknow what they were missing with a knock of 72, ending his season with 266 runs in just five innings, averaging 53.2. The Australian’s innings got Lucknow to 196/8, and Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer replied in style, scoring an exhilarating ton in 51 balls to give the Kings a desperately needed win and still going in the playoff race.
That race would unfortunately come to an end as Rajasthan would be the one to grab the final playoff spot by beating Mumbai by 30 runs on Sunday afternoon. Rajasthan would start wobbly with the bat, with no substantial impact from their top order. It would be English fast bowler, Jofra Archer who would be their unlikely hero with the bat to get them up to 205/8. Archer would then impress with the ball, taking a spectacular 3/17, to render Mumbai out of the chase, finishing their innings at 175/9, and sending Rajasthan to the eliminator against Hyderabad.
With all four spots confirmed, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders played for pride in the final league game of the season, where Delhi came out on top by 40 runs. An all-round batting display got Delhi to 203/5, and while Kolkata seemed alive in the chase courtesy of skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s 63 early on, impact sub Kuldeep Yadav tore through the Kolkata lower order with 3/29, bowling them out for 163, helping his side finish over the Knight Riders at sixth place.
Stars of the week
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi- While just one really noteworthy performance this week, the spotlight was long overdue for the 15-year-old. Sooryavanshi has been the talk of the IPL all season, deservingly so scoring 583 runs, with 53 sixes thus far, the most by any Indian in a single IPL season and just six short of Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of 59 from 2012.
My reason for giving him the mention this particular week comes from the fact that he is showing signs of learning from his mistakes. While incredibly entertaining, slogging alone does not improve one’s game, and his tendency for doing just that was being picked up by the bowlers, leading to a slew of fizzled out innings.
But in his 93 against Lucknow, Sooryavanshi showcased the Cricket IQ he possesses at this tender age, and there’s no way but up if continues to use it in the future. Picking his moments to go big, using the speed of the ball to his advantage and not just playing towards the cow corner, it’s basic development, but a monumental step forward for someone of his potential. I don’t have to say it, but keep an eye out for this sensational talent.
Ishan Kishan- Kishan is on a truly generational run of form in 2026. Leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, starring for India in his return to the blue in their T20 World Cup win, and now scoring 569 runs thus far for Hyderabad in the IPL, Kishan is once again a hot commodity. The keeper batter has made an incredible case for himself to be an all-format option for India behind the stumps, a position with intense competition and a pressing legacy. Now matured and more consistent than ever, Kishan has all but taken that spot for the long run, and it’s only a matter of time before he does.
Playoff fixtures
Qualifier 1- Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Gujarat Titans, HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala, Tuesday 26th May, 19:30 IST (10:00 EST).
Eliminator- Sunrisers Hyderabad VS Rajasthan Royals, New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, Wednesday 27th May, 19:30 IST (10:00 EST).
Qualifier 2- (Loser of Qualifier 1) Vs (Winner of Eliminator), New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, Friday 29th May, 19:30 IST (10:00 EST).
Final- (Winner of Qualifier 1) Vs (Winner of Qualifier 2), Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Sunday 31st May, 19:30 IST (10:00 EST).
