To make this very brief, a couple of good teams that were winning all the time started losing. A couple of mid-table sides suddenly got really good. And a couple of teams at the very bottom are still there.
And KKR have found form, but it’s probably a little too late.
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RCB (Previous Ranking: 1)
Last week: RCB played two thrillers against bottom table teams last week, so it certainly didn’t end up being a walk in the park for them. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya were the heroes of the Mumbai win, while Rajat Patidar and Tim David tried their absolute best to win it against Lucknow. 1-1 is not what you expect from these games.
Pace bowling: Good
In the powerplay, Bhuvi basically goes for no runs and takes a wicket every two overs. He is having an all-time great season (for anyone), but Josh Hazlewood hasn’t looked like his last year self. Rasikh Salam started off really well but has dropped off a bit since, and Romario Shepherd is conceding nearly two runs a ball.
Spin bowling: Decent
Both the RCB spinners are conceding less than nine runs an over this season. But Suyash Sharma hasn’t really been at his best; often erring on the shorter or fuller lengths. He hasn’t bowled out in the last two matches. Krunal Pandya is one of the most innovative ‘spinners’ in the league, bowling bouncers and slingers and what not to keep the batters guessing.
Next: v KKR (May 13), @ PBKS (May 17, afternoon game), @ SRH (May 22)
Road ahead: Raipur gave us a low-scoring classic, and both teams lost early wickets. They play an on-the-rise Kolkata here, so getting Finn Allen out early could be key on such a surface. Their last two games are against top teams on the road, and Dharamshala can help their quicks in the powerplay. A top two spot is certainly still in their hands, but it feels less certain than last week.
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SRH (Previous Ranking: 3)
Last week: SRH had a great start with the bat in the first six overs against Punjab, like they did against Kolkata. But this time, Punjab decided to not take any catches. All SRH batters contributed as they posted 235/4. In response, they got the Punjab top three out within the first 20 balls, which had sort of sealed the visitor’s fate.
Pace bowling: Decent
Eshan Malinga is obviously having a great year. With Pat Cummins back and doing well, it gives them a huge boost. Sakib Hussain has been incredible after the powerplay, and Nitish Reddy has also improved his bowling a lot. That’s the four quicks who played versus Punjab, plus they have the option of using Harshal Patel on a wicket that suits him.
Spin bowling: Below par
SRH spinners have taken the joint second-lowest wickets for any spin attack this year. Five of Harsh Dubey’s eight wickets are in the final five overs, and three of them were against Delhi when the game was pretty much over. Dubey has a true economy of -0.85, while Shivang Kumar is at -0.42.
Next: @ GT (May 12), @ CSK (May 18), v RCB (May 22)
Road ahead: Their next three games are pretty challenging. GT have won their last four games, CSK are at four wins in the last five too, and RCB are in the top two. Two wins should get them a playoffs berth, but the table is going to be very fun from here on in, and they are still in with a genuine shout to finish top two.
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GT (Previous Ranking: 5)
Last week: GT’s openers had a terrific start in the powerplay, but they knocked it around for a bit after that. Sai Sudharsan got out in the 50s, but Shubman Gill went on to make 84(44). Washington Sundar also chipped in with a handy knock. Mohammed Siraj got the big wicket of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while Kagiso Rabada also took two more wickets in the powerplay. Rashid Khan also took four wickets to completely destroy the hosts.
Pace bowling: The best
The opening partnership of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj has worked superbly for the Titans this season. Rabada has been the wicket-taker, while Siraj has created pressure with dot balls. They had Prasidh Krishna doing incredibly well in the middle overs, but somehow he’s not playing now. But Jason Holder has been excellent too.
Spin bowling: Good
Their spin bowling this year has basically been Rashid Khan on his own. They had Sai Kishore doing really well for them last time, but his first game in 2026 was the most recent one, and he only bowled a single over. Washington Sundar has not even bowled 50 balls in 11 matches. Rashid is at 7/84 in his last 12 overs, which is a great sign for them moving forward.
Next: v SRH (May 12), @ KKR (May 16), v CSK (May 21)
Road ahead: Their next three games are not straightforward either, with KKR improving and CSK in with an actual chance to make the playoffs. They’ll hope to get early wickets to slow SRH and CSK down, and they’re still a stronger all-round team than KKR. Like RCB, top two is still well within their grasp.
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PBKS (Previous Ranking: 2) (6-4-1)
Last week: Punjab continued their losing streak. SRH away was a game that could have gone better had they held on to their catches. They also lost too many early wickets and got behind the rate. At Dharamshala, they had a strong powerplay on either side of the ball but Delhi outplayed them in the middle and death overs.
Pace bowling: Awful
Arshdeep Singh has been their most economical quick this year, and even he’s going at a fraction under ten an over. Apart from him, nobody has been a wicket-taking threat with the new ball. Their seamers don’t strike too often in the middle overs either, and they leak runs across all phases. At the death, Vyshak Vijaykumar is the only one to concede less than 10 RPO. Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett have been less than whelming this year.
Spin bowling: Mixed
No team has used fewer overs of spin than PBKS. Harpreet Brar has only bowled four overs in a game, which means their entire spin bowling department has been carried by Yuzvendra Chahal. He’s been a bit unlucky with the dropped catches, but despite that he’s managed a positive true economy and wickets. All things considered, he’s had a mixed campaign.
Next: v MI (May 14), v RCB (May 17, afternoon game), @ LSG (May 23)
Road ahead: Even now, their fate is in their hands. They have an ‘easier’ schedule than the other contenders, but as we’ve learnt you cannot rule anyone out. Even if they win against MI and LSG, the RCB fixture could potentially end up deciding the top two.
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RR (Previous Ranking: 4) (6-5)
Last week: Jofra Archer bowled an 11-ball first over to start the proceedings. GT went on to have a strong powerplay, though the spinners did well to stem the flow of runs in the middle overs. The 20th over was also expensive. They were never really in the chase once the openers were out because they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Pace bowling: Par
Jofra Archer has had an excellent season – he’s picked up new ball wickets and been frugal in the middle and the death. His new ball partner, Nandre Burger, has dropped off in his last three games. Brijesh Sharma has been good in the middle and decent at the death, but he’s not a solid new ball option yet. Sandeep Sharma hasn’t had a great year. And while Tushar Deshpande nailed his yorkers in the 20th over against GT earlier in the season, he’s conceded more than two runs per ball in his six matches.
Spin bowling: Very good
RR got three new spinners on their roster this season – Ravi Bishnoi, Ravindra Jadeja and Yash Raj Punja. Bishnoi took loads of wickets at the start of the year, but after the first four games he’s not performed at that level. Jadeja has had a solid season for a defensive fingerspinner, while Punja has also impressed in three games he’s played so far. His high release point is something to watch out for.
Next: @ DC (May 17, night game), v LSG (May 19), @ MI (May 24, afternoon game)
Road ahead: Even though they’ve lost an extra game compared to the teams in the top four, they still have a proper chance of making the playoffs. There is a bit of a break for them, which could help. Their road ahead is relatively easier, but as we’ve learnt in recent times (and IPL history), there are no guaranteed wins.