4 Teams that can qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs

The biggest cricketing carnival is back to enthral the fans with some riveting action as the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is all set to begin on March 28. The 19^th edition of the tournament is expected to be more competitive than ever, as all ten franchises have reinforced their squads in the mini auction ahead of the season.

Many teams were able to fill the gaping holes in their squads as they head into the season with their eyes set on the coveted trophy. While most franchises managed to create a well-rounded roster to go all the way into the tournament, some are again likely to emerge as the cut above the rest and look favourites to reach the playoffs even before taking the field. Here are four such teams that are favourites to make it to the playoffs in the upcoming IPL 2026:

1. Mumbai Indians

The five-time champions once again head into another season with a strong Indian core featuring Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma, out of which four were a part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 winning team. Apart from them, Mumbai have enough firepower in batting, having the likes of Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Sherfane Rutherford, and Will Jacks in their lineup.

The bowling department consists of Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, and last season’s find, Ashwani Kumar, to complement Bumrah. In the spin department, Mitchell Santner and AM Ghazanfar will lead the charge, while Mayank Markande has been a valuable addition. Meanwhile, the presence of Naman Dhir and Shardul Thakur gives MI the perfect balance as they aim to end their almost six-year title drought.

Mumbai will be suffering from problems of plenty in the upcoming season, having several options at their disposal for every slot. Given their history and management of players, the Hardik Pandya-led side won’t take long to find the right combination and progress into the playoffs.

2. Chennai Super Kings

Once known as the Dad’s army for backing experienced players, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have moved from their old philosophy as they were seen investing in the young talent at the mini auction. The additions of Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer signal a move towards safeguarding the future with the most senior players in the twilight of their careers.

The five-time champions also engaged in a player trade ahead of the season, which saw them bring in Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in exchange for Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja. With Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube, CSK boast one of the most dangerous batting lineups of the season.

In the bowling department, Noor Ahmad will lead the spin attack alongside Rahul Chahar, while Prashant will also contribute with his left-arm spin. The seam attack will have Matt Henry starting with the new ball alongside Khaleel Ahmed. Though death bowling will be a question for the Yellow army in the absence of Nathan Ellis, CSK seem to have ticked most of the boxes and have all the ingredients to finish in the top four of the points table.

3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

For the first time ever, RCB will head into the IPL season with all other teams’ eyes hooked on them being the defending champions. The Rajat Patidar-led side finally managed to end their 18-year drought and clinched their maiden IPL title in 2025. 

RCB once again head into the season with a solid squad that helped them end their long wait, along with valuable additions. The batting department looks set with the presence of Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Rajat Patidar, and Jacob Bethell, among others.

The bowling department features seasoned campaigner Bhuvneshwar Kumar alongside Yash Dayal and Jacob Duffy, who had a phenomenal year with the ball in T20Is in 2025. Despite Josh Hazlewood’s absence due to injury for the first few matches, RCB have enough bench strength to fill in his massive shoes.

The spin department consists of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, who both were pivotal to RCB’s success in 2025, along with several emerging young talents. RCB also bought Venkatesh Iyer at the auction, who will provide a good balance to the side. 

All in all, RCB once again have all the match winners from their victorious campaign, and if they click together all over again, the defending champions will sail through to the playoffs without much trouble.

4. Punjab Kings

After ending their ten-year drought to play in the IPL playoffs, Punjab Kings look well-set for another blockbuster season. The Shreyas Iyer-led side fought their heart out till the final ball of the 2025 season, but unfortunately fell seven runs short of winning their maiden title. 

They enter the upcoming season with new vigour and zeal to change the script. With the likes of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, and Shashank Singh, captain Iyer is once again leading the charge with the bat. The seam department is led by Arshdeep Singh, who will have the support of Lockie Ferguson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Ben Dwarshius, and Xavier Bartlett. 

Yuzvendra Chahal will need some support in the spin department, but the presence of Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen gives plenty of options for Punjab to fill any holes left in their lineup. All in all, Punjab have enough hungry men to flip the script in the upcoming season and look like sure-shot favourites to finish in the top four of the points table.