IPL 2026 Week 6: Playoff Race Tighter Than Ever

It was a quieter week in terms of spectacles and games, but the seesawing forms of every team has resulted in one of the tightest races for the playoffs, with every team realistically in contention for a top four finish this late into the season.

Sunday’s double header started with Kolkata Knight Riders finally finding form securing a third   consecutive win and ending Sunrisers Hyderabad’s five game win streak with a seven-wicket win. A balanced approach with the ball, with Varun Chakravarthy leading the charge restricted Hyderabad to just 165 all out. Patient innings from skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi saw Kolkata get to the total with ten deliveries in hand. 

Punjab Kings begin a late season stumble suffering consecutive defeats, this time at the hands of Gujarat Titans by four wickets. Jason Holder continued his stunning form taking 4/24 to bring Punjab to just 163/9. A rocky chase ensued, with Sai Sudarshan scoring 57, but it was all-rounder Washington Sundar showcasing his batting ability yet again to guide Gujarat to the win with a ball to spare. 

Lucknow Super Giants were beaten yet again on Monday, this time by Mumbai Indians in a bottom of the table clash. The Lucknow batting showed some signs of life after a relatively lackluster season, with Nicholas finally stepping up with a knock 63 from 21 to get Lucknow to 228/5. But a Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickleton opening blitz of 143 runs in the first ten overs practically ended the chase, and it was a walk in the park from there on as Mumbai reached the target with eight balls and six wickets to spare.

Delhi Capitals’ struggles continued Tuesday with another defeat against the Chennai Super Kings. A slow track got the Capitals off to a poor start at 69/5 in the first half of the innings. A patient revival from Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs got them to a respectable 155/7, but that is merely child’s play in these competitions, and the Super Kings got to the target courtesy of a Sanju Samson 87* and youngster Kartik Sharma’s 41* to grab an eight-wicket win.

We were back to the big hitting shenanigans in the game between Hyderabad and Punjab on Wednesday, where Punjab’s decline extended. The Sunrisers scored 235/4, with every batter striking at over 160, a combined effort. Cooper Connolly stood alone in the run chase with a knock of 107*, becoming the youngest overseas centurion in the IPL at 22 years old. Punjab failed to provide the Australian any support, and ended their innings at 202/7, losing by 33 runs.

It was back-to-back Australian hundreds, with Mitchell Marsh scoring 111 for Lucknow against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in what was a much-needed win for the Super Giants. Marsh’s ton got Lucknow to a strong start, but a rain disruption ruined the flow a tad bit, as an over was lost and Lucknow managed to get to 209/3. Prince Yadav initiated an early collapse, including bowling out Virat Kohli for a duck in what was the ‘ball of the season’. RCB captain Rajat Patidar smashed 61 from 31, and the lower middle order as whole gave a good push which was ultimately not enough as RCB could manage only 203/6, nine runs short of the revised target.

Kolkata pummeled Delhi on Friday, completing four wins in a row. The Knight Riders bowling effort muzzled Delhi to just 142/8, and a fairly comfortable chase followed. New Zealander, Finn Allen, fresh off an incredible T20 World Cup campaign, scored a hundred in 47 deliveries, single handedly ending the chase in just the 15th over.

On Saturday, Gujarat handed Rajasthan a second consecutive defeat after the Royals returned from a weeklong break. Shubman Gill continued to silence his haters with another brilliant knock of 84 which guided Gujarat to 229/4. A Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi special was expected, but the Titans bowling kept up their consistent form and bowled out Rajasthan for just 152, with Jason Holder taking 3/12 and Rashid Khan taking 4/33 to give Gujarat a 77-run win.

Stars of the week

Cooper Connolly- One of the biggest debates of the 2025 Ashes was the lack of young talent in the Australian squad, with Cameron Green being the only player under 30. Connolly has shown that the young talent does exist, they just need to be given a chance. 377 runs at an average of 53.86 thus far, Connolly has the potential to redefine the next generation of Australian Cricket. Be sure to keep an eye out on this youngster.

Kartik Tyagi- A revered talent during his U-19 days, Tyagi has had a revival to remember. Taking 13 wickets, with a bowling average of 24.23, Tyagi has been a crucial death bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season. Still only 25 years old, Tyagi has made a great case to get an international debut and can be the answer India needs in their bowling lineup.

Upcoming games

Monday, May 11 – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Tuesday, May 12 – Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Wednesday, May 13 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Thursday, May 14 – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Friday, May 15 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Saturday, May 16 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Sunday, May 17 – Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, 3:30 PM IST (6:00 AM EST); Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, 7:30 PM IST (10:00 AM EST)

Related posts:

IPL Week 1: Vintage Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Shine; Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi Impress; Chennai Struggles IPL 2026, Week 3: The Gap Begins to Widen Between the Favorites and the Rest IPL 2026 Week 4: Record Chases, Centuries, and Shifting Playoff Race IPL 2026 Week 5: Lower Scores, Higher Drama as Bowlers Begin to Step Up