IPL 2026 points table update: Punjab Kings lead with 11, MI rise after GT demolition

Thirty matches into IPL 2026, the table has started to separate teams into groups. Punjab Kings are clear at the top with 11 points. Kolkata Knight Riders are stuck at the bottom with no wins. Between those two extremes, seven teams are in various stages of a genuine playoff fight, and a single result can swing multiple positions in one night.

The most recent result to move things around was Mumbai Indians' 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 20. MI, who had lost four games in a row before that, climbed from ninth to seventh. GT, who had been on a three-match winning streak, dropped to sixth. That is how tight the middle of this table is.

Punjab Kings at the top: how they built their lead

Punjab Kings have 11 points and sit clear of the rest. Shreyas Iyer has been in strong form with the bat, and Arshdeep Singh crossed 100 IPL wickets for the franchise during their win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He got there in 87 appearances, becoming the first bowler to reach that milestone for Punjab. That kind of output from their lead pace bowler has been central to their run.

Prabhsimran Singh scored 80 not out in that MI game, and Iyer made 66. PBKS chased down 196 with ease in what was one of the more controlled run chases of the season. They have generally avoided the collapses that have hurt other teams and look well-placed for a top-two finish if their form holds.

Rajasthan Royals and RCB in the chase pack

Rajasthan Royals are second, RCB third. Both teams have been consistent, and both have individual performers in strong touch. Shubman Gill leads the overall run-scoring charts with 235 runs in five matches. Virat Kohli of RCB is second with 228 runs. RCB captain Rajat Patidar has 195 runs at a strike rate above 214, making him one of the more destructive batters in the middle overs this season.

In the bowling charts, GT's Prasidh Krishna leads with 11 wickets, followed by CSK's Anshul Kamboj on 10 and LSG's Prince Yadav on 9. RR's Ravi Bishnoi is also on 9. The top of the bowling chart is more tightly packed than the batting side, where Gill and Kohli have clearly pulled ahead.

The crowded mid-table fight

Between fourth and eighth, five teams are within a narrow band of points. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals meet in Match 31 on April 21, a direct contest for fourth place. SRH are missing captain Pat Cummins, who is targeting an April 25 return after a lumbar stress injury. DC come in with solid recent form. That result will push one team closer to the top four and leave the other scrambling.

Gujarat Titans sit sixth with six points from six matches. Their three-match winning streak ended badly against MI, with their top three all gone inside the powerplay. How they respond in their next fixture against RCB on April 24 will tell a lot about whether that GT collapse was a one-off or a sign of something more persistent in their middle-order depth.

Mumbai Indians back in the conversation

Two wins from six matches is not a comfortable position, but MI's net run rate improved substantially after the 99-run margin against GT. When points are level between teams later in the season, that NRR difference can determine who makes the playoffs and who goes home. Tilak Varma's unbeaten 101 off 45 balls was the kind of innings that makes that calculation work in MI's favour.

MI's next match is against Chennai Super Kings, who are eighth with two wins and a growing injury list. Khaleel Ahmed is out for the season, MS Dhoni has still not played, and their pace attack is thin. MI have a real chance to win consecutive games for the first time in IPL 2026. A win over CSK would push them into the top six and make the second half of their league stage worth watching.

Kolkata Knight Riders still winless

KKR sit last with one point, which came from a rain-affected no-result. They have not won a completed match all season. Captain Ajinkya Rahane has not found consistency with the bat, and the bowling has been uneven even with Sunil Narine and the recently returned Varun Chakravarthy available. KKR face LSG next. A loss there would make their path to the playoffs effectively require winning most of their remaining games, which at this stage of the season is an extremely difficult ask.