Our IPL 2026 report card is here after a season that ended with Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting the trophy for the second year in a row. RCB beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the final at Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026 to complete back to back titles, and they also topped the points table with 18 points. The season belonged to more than one team though. Rajasthan Royals produced the breakout star of the year in Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who won the Orange Cap with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. Gujarat Titans reached the final behind Kagiso Rabada, whose 29 wickets won the Purple Cap. At the other end, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants managed just four wins each from 14 games. We grade all 10 teams from A plus to D minus, with the points, playoff results and star players that decided each season.
IPL 2026 ran from 28 March to 31 May 2026, with 74 matches in all. Three teams finished level on 18 points at the top, so net run rate decided the final order. This report card uses final standings, playoff performance and individual awards to hand out honest grades.
IPL 2026 Report Card Overview
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Champions | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2nd title) |
| Final result | RCB beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets, 31 May 2026, Ahmedabad |
| Player of the final | Virat Kohli (75 not out off 42) |
| Orange Cap | Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals), 776 runs |
| Purple Cap | Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), 29 wickets |
| Most Valuable Player | Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) |
| Matches played | 74 |
Top 10 IPL 2026 Team Grades
| Rank | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 | 9 | 5 | 18 | A+ |
| 2 | Gujarat Titans | 14 | 9 | 5 | 18 | A |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 14 | 9 | 5 | 18 | B+ |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals | 14 | 8 | 6 | 16 | A |
| 5 | Punjab Kings | 14 | 7 | 6 | 15 | C+ |
| 6 | Delhi Capitals | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | C |
| 7 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 14 | 6 | 7 | 13 | C minus |
| 8 | Chennai Super Kings | 14 | 6 | 8 | 12 | D plus |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians | 14 | 4 | 10 | 8 | D |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants | 14 | 4 | 10 | 8 | D minus |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: A+
The perfect season for a defending champion. RCB topped the table on net run rate, crushed Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1, then chased 156 in the final with 12 balls to spare. Virat Kohli carried them home in the final with 75 not out, and captain Rajat Patidar smashed 93 not out off 33 in Qualifier 1. Back to back titles remove all doubt. This was the best team in the league and it showed when it mattered.
Gujarat Titans: A
Finalists with the best bowling attack of the season. Kagiso Rabada took 29 wickets to win the Purple Cap, Mohammed Siraj bowled 172 dot balls and Sai Sudharsan hit 75 fours. They beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2 to reach the final. But the 92 run loss to RCB in Qualifier 1 and the flat final chase of 155 exposed their batting under pressure. A strong season that fell one step short.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: B+
Level on 18 points with the top two, which says plenty about their league form. Their power hitters made them the most feared batting side on their day. But one bad day ended everything. Rajasthan Royals bowled them out for 196 in the Eliminator after posting 243. A team built for big nights could not survive a knockout game. Good season, poor finish.
Rajasthan Royals: A
The story of the season. They grabbed the last playoff spot on the final league day by beating Mumbai Indians, then smashed 243 for 8 in the Eliminator and knocked out Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, just 15, hit 97 off 29 balls in that game and finished with 776 runs, the Orange Cap, the MVP award and the Emerging Player award. Losing Qualifier 2 to Gujarat Titans cost them a final, but this was a season their fans will never forget.
Punjab Kings: C+
So close yet again. Seven wins and a washed out game gave them 15 points, but they missed the top four on the final day. Their consolation was the Fair Play award for the best on field conduct of the season. A decent squad that could not win the big moments. Another year of what might have been.
Delhi Capitals: C
Seven wins and seven losses sum up an inconsistent campaign. They beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 40 runs on the final league day but were already out of the race by then. Nothing terrible, nothing special. A middle of the table season that gave their fans little to cheer about.
Kolkata Knight Riders: C minus
The 2024 champions fell to seventh with only six wins. One no result saved them from a worse finish. Veteran Manish Pandey won the Catch of the Season award, which tells you where the bright spots were. A forgettable title defence from a side that looked short of ideas.
Chennai Super Kings: D plus
Another disappointing year for the five time champions. Six wins, eight losses and a negative net run rate left them eighth. They were knocked out of the playoff race on 21 May after losing to Gujarat Titans. The aura is fading and the rebuild cannot wait much longer.
Mumbai Indians: D
Four wins from 14 games for the league’s most successful franchise. They were the first big side knocked out, eliminated on 10 May, and their final day loss to Rajasthan Royals handed RR the last playoff spot. Big names, small returns. The squad needs serious surgery before the next auction.
Lucknow Super Giants: D minus
Bottom of the table with four wins and the worst net run rate in the league. Eliminated on 10 May alongside Mumbai Indians, they never recovered. Nothing worked, neither the batting nor the bowling. The wooden spoon is fully deserved.
IPL 2026 Playoff Results
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | 26 May 2026 | RCB 254 for 5 beat GT 162 by 92 runs, Dharamsala |
| Eliminator | 27 May 2026 | RR 243 for 8 beat SRH 196 by 47 runs, Mullanpur |
| Qualifier 2 | 29 May 2026 | GT 219 for 3 beat RR 214 for 6 by 7 wickets, Mullanpur |
| Final | 31 May 2026 | RCB 161 for 5 beat GT 155 for 8 by 5 wickets, Ahmedabad |
The playoffs told a clear story. RCB were ruthless in Qualifier 1, with Patidar’s 93 not out setting up a 92 run win. Suryavanshi’s record breaking 97 off 29 balls carried Rajasthan Royals past Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator and broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. Gujarat Titans bounced back in Qualifier 2, chasing 215 with 8 balls left. In the final, GT managed only 155 for 8 and Kohli’s calm 75 not out finished the job for RCB with 12 balls to spare. Full scorecards for every game are available in ESPNcricinfo’s IPL 2026 series archive.
What This Season Tells Us
RCB proved their first title was no accident by winning the second one as the best team from start to finish. They topped the table, won the big knockout games and never looked rushed in the final. Gujarat Titans showed that a great bowling attack can carry a team to the final, with Rabada and Siraj setting the tone all season. The arrival of Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the biggest individual story. A 15 year old winning the Orange Cap, the MVP and the Emerging Player award in the same season has never happened before, and his strike rate of 237.30 set a new bar for teenage batting in the league. You can read more about that record in our highest strike rate by a teenager in an IPL season article. At the bottom, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants showed that big squads mean nothing without form, winning only four games each. Three teams finishing on 18 points also showed how tight the league has become, with net run rate deciding who lifts the trophy path.
For teams planning ahead, the IPL 2027 retention deadline, rules and purse guide explains how squads will be reshaped before the next season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won IPL 2026?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won IPL 2026, beating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026. It was their second title in a row after winning in 2025.
Who won the Orange Cap in IPL 2026?
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals won the Orange Cap with 776 runs in 16 matches, including one hundred and five fifties, at a strike rate of 237.30.
Who won the Purple Cap in IPL 2026?
Kagiso Rabada of Gujarat Titans won the Purple Cap with 29 wickets in 17 matches, edging out Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the final day of the season.
Which teams reached the IPL 2026 playoffs?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs. RCB, GT and SRH all finished on 18 points, with net run rate deciding the order.
Which team finished last in IPL 2026?
Lucknow Super Giants finished last with 4 wins from 14 matches and 8 points, with the worst net run rate in the league.
How many IPL titles has RCB won?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won two IPL titles, in 2025 and 2026, both times as the strongest side across the season.
Statistics updated through: 8 October 2026
