Who will Win IPL 2026? Biggest Favourite May Surprise Everyone

The league stage of the 2026 Indian Premier League ended, with one of those close finishes that people were talking about for days. After 70 matches, and almost two months of nonstop cricket, four teams finally locked in their playoff spots, more or less.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad all ended up on 18 points. Rajasthan Royals grabbed the last playoff place with 16 points, after beating Mumbai Indians in their final league match.

Net Run Rate pretty much decided everything, as always. RCB finished first, and will meet Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on May 26. Sunrisers Hyderabad go up against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at Mullanpur on May 27. The IPL 2026 final, meanwhile will be played on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Even though each of the four teams can still win the title, Gujarat Titans, they look like the side heading into the knockout rounds with the most real momentum.

Gujarat Titans Have the Most Balanced Team

Gujarat Titans have impressed, both with bat work and ball work, this season. Their bowling unit has actually been the most effective among the playoff teams.

GT picked up 102 wickets during the league stage, and that was the highest number among the four teams. Their economy rate of 9.16 was also best overall. More crucially, their bowlers kept batters under the cosh, by bowling a big heap of dot balls, again and again.

Their pace department was powered by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj. Rabada took 24 wickets in the league stage, while Siraj delivered strongly with the new ball and once things got really tense at the death. Spin, of course, Rashid Khan. He once more showed why he stays in the conversation as one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

On the batting front, Gujarat have been steady. Captain Shubman Gill has gone past 600 runs this season. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, they also chipped in at key moments, when it mattered.

A big reason for Gujarat’s strong position is their form in the late season stretch. They beat SRH, RR and RCB during the second half of the campaign. Those wins basically proved that GT can handle pressure games against top-level opponents.

Also Read | 4 Major Reasons Punjab Kings Failed to Qualify for IPL 2026 Playoffs

Sunrisers Hyderabad Depend Heavily on Batting

Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most entertaining teams, mainly because their batting is attacking, and it never really slows down. Abhishek Sharma has been playing fearless cricket right at the top. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen also scored in a heavy way across the season.

SRH have often got on top early, especially during the powerplay. They’ve repeatedly dominated bowling attacks in the first part of an innings. Still, their bowling is a concern, not just a minor one. Of the four playoff teams, SRH have the weakest bowling numbers. They also struggled badly against Gujarat Titans earlier in the season, and lost by 82 runs.

So if SRH’s batters have an off day, even once, then the bowling side might struggle to defend totals, especially against stronger opposition in knockout matches.

RCB Look Dangerous but Inconsistent

RCB finished first on the points table, but their overall form never looked fully stable through the season.

One clear strength is the experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has turned in some excellent spell-work with the ball. Their lower-order batting has also helped them close out matches strongly, especially during the death overs. That said, they’ve looked uneven at times. They’ve mixed huge, game-changing displays with disappointing losses. Their big defeat vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final league game added even more doubts right before playoffs.

RCB definitely have match-winners who can shift momentum quickly, but they might need more players to deliver together with consistency, if they’re serious about lifting the title.

Rajasthan Royals Need Something Special

Rajasthan Royals start the playoffs with a brutal path, because they have to win three knockout matches in a row to become champions. Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been one of the season’s biggest shocks, with his aggressive batting style. Fast bowler Jofra Archer has also performed well with the ball.

Even so, RR’s bowling has not been dependable enough throughout the season. They also had issues vs Gujarat Titans, losing both league meetings.

RR can absolutely upset stronger teams on their day. But they’ll need near-perfect performances in every playoff game, no room for mistakes.

Gujarat Titans Hold the Edge Before Knockouts

All four playoff teams come with strengths that could help them win the IPL 2026 trophy. SRH bring explosive batting. RCB have experienced match-winners. RR can surprise anyone in short-format cricket.

But Gujarat Titans seem to have the most complete overall squad. Their bowling attack is strong in every phase, while their batting lineup has stayed dependable through the year. They’ve also done well against the other playoff teams, and go into knockouts with strong momentum.

In T20 cricket, one rough day can end your season. Yet, based on what we’ve seen so far, Gujarat Titans look like the team everyone else will have to beat if they want to call themselves IPL 2026 champions.