Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester

The IPL 2026 points table determines team rankings, playoff qualification, and overall standings during the league stage. Understanding how points, Net Run Rate (NRR), and tie-breakers work is essential to track your team’s chances. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), teams earn points based on match results: Win: 2 points No Result / Abandoned match: 1 point each Loss: 0 points There are no tied matches in the IPL. If a match ends in a tie, it is decided via a Super Over, and the winning team gets 2 points. In its current iteration in the IPL, each team plays 14 matches in the league stage. The top four teams in the points table qualify for the playoffs. Net Run Rate (NRR) is a key metric used to rank teams when two or more teams have equal points. It reflects a team’s overall performance across matches Teams with a higher NRR rank above others with the same points The formula for NRR is: NRR = (Average runs scored per over) – (Average runs conceded per over) In simple terms: Calculate how fast a team scores runs and subtract how fast they allow opponents to score. A positive NRR indicates strong performance, while a negative NRR suggests struggles. In a 14-match IPL season with 10 teams, the maximum points a team can achieve are: 28 points (14 wins out of 14 matches). A team can reach the playoffs with a negative NRR if it has more points than competitors Example: In IPL 2023, a team qualified with 16 points despite a negative NRR Team rankings follow this order: Total points, Net Run Rate (NRR), Head-to-head record (if points and NRR are equal) and If a match is abandoned due to rain or other reasons, both teams are awarded 1 point each. No impact on NRR. Ever since the playoff system was introduced in the IPL, replacing the earlier semi-final format—where the top-ranked team faced the third-placed side and the second-placed team played the fourth—finishing at the top of the points table has gained even greater significance. Under the current playoff structure, the teams finishing first and second in the league stage face off in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing directly to the final. The losing team, however, is not eliminated; instead, it gets another chance by progressing to Qualifier 2. Meanwhile, the teams finishing third and fourth compete in the Eliminator. The loser of this match is knocked out of the tournament, while the winner moves on to Qualifier 2, where they face the loser of Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 then advances to the final to face the winner of Qualifier 1. Why finishing in the top two matters The playoff system offers a clear advantage to the teams finishing in the top two positions on the points table. They effectively get two chances to reach the final, as even a loss in Qualifier 1 does not end their campaign. In contrast, teams finishing third and fourth have no such cushion—they must win back-to-back knockout matches (Eliminator and Qualifier 2) to qualify for the final. Teams that finished top of the Points Table in every IPL season 2008 – Rajasthan Royals (winners) 2009 – Delhi Daredevils (semi-finals) 2010 – Mumbai Indians (runners-up) 2011 – Royal Challengers Bangalore (runners-up) 2012 – Delhi Daredevils (Qualifier 2) 2013 – Chennai Super Kings (runners-up) 2014 – Kings XI Punjab (runners-up) 2015 – Chennai Super Kings (runners-up) 2016 – Gujarat Lions (Qualifier 2) 2017 – Mumbai Indians (winners) 2018 – Sunrisers Hyderabad (runners-up) 2019 – Mumbai Indians (winners) 2020 – Mumbai Indians (winners) 2021 – Delhi Capitals (Qualifier 2) 2022 – Gujarat Titans (winners) 2023 – Gujarat Titans (runners-up) 2024 – Kolkata Knight Riders (winner) 2025 – Punjab Kings (runners-up)