RCB, PBKS, MI and DC have the might to make the play-off cut

The shortest format of the game is most amenable to upsets. But in a league as long as the IPL – where each team plays a minimum of 14 games – form and luck tend to even out, with the cream eventually rising to the top.

Does that make predictions easy? Definitely not. Elite sport rests on the glorious interplay between risk and reward, and it is anybody’s guess as to which way the balance will tilt.

But sports prediction is not an exercise in futility either. There is past history to look at, a wealth of real-time information, and thorough analyses of players’ strengths and weaknesses. With these in mind, here is our humble attempt at IPL top-four prophecy, not necessarily in that order.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: After having broken its IPL duck last June and retained its winning core – sans Yash Dayal – RCB will be confident. It will play five of its seven home matches at its beloved M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a scenario which seemed improbable after the tragic stampede during last year’s title-winning celebrations. Star pacer Josh Hazlewood is not fully fit yet, but 2026 is a golden chance to put an on-the-field stamp to its recent $1.76 billion valuation.

Punjab Kings: Its strength is the presence of inspirational men at the top – captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting. The two first hit it off in 2020, leading Delhi Capitals to the final, before a repeat in Punjab colours last year. There is a strong Indian core – Shreyas, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal – and accomplished overseas men in Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai and Marco Jansen. Will the trophy finally come home?

Mumbai Indians: MI has one of India’s greatest leaders, the current T20 World Cup-winning captain and the world’s best all-format bowler. If Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah don’t get you, skipper Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma most likely will. Not to mention Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Will Jacks, Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner – a team with seemingly no holes. A first final since 2020 should be bare minimum.

Delhi Capitals: DC finished fifth in 2025 after promising much. But it should be doing a lot better with the talent at its disposal. A team with Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, K.L. Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi should be right up there in the conversation. There is also a capable bunch of domestic cricketers in Nitish Rana, Vipraj Nigam and Abhishek Porel. Can DC take inspiration from RCB and get off the mark?