NEW DELHI: The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League is underway, with all ten teams having completed their opening matches over the first five days. IPL 2026 kicked off with thrilling high-scoring encounters, as the initial two matches over the weekend saw totals surpassing 200 runs. However, the following three games this week turned the tide, producing low to moderate scores. A notable trend so far is that teams chasing targets regardless of whether the total is low, modest, or high have consistently emerged victorious. If this pattern continues, the toss could play a pivotal role for every side in IPL 2026, adding an extra strategic dimension to the tournament.
So far, all five matches have been played under lights. However, day games are limited, with each team scheduled to play just two, where the dew factor won’t be a factor and the chasing advantage may reduce.The pattern is worrying for bowlers. Except for Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, which went down to the wire, the rest have been largely one-sided chases. Even on Wednesday. When Delhi Capitals were reduced to 26/4 inside the Powerplay by Lucknow Super Giants while chasing 141. A partnership between Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs sealed the game with 17 balls to spare
.Close chases add excitement, but one-sided pursuits tend to dull the contest for fans.
Let’s delve deeper into IPL 2026 trends so far:
Game 1: RCB beat SRH by six wickets
Defending champions RCB hosted SRH at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL 2026 opener. After being put in, SRH recovered from 29/3 through Ishan Kishan (80 off 38) and Heinrich Klaasen (31). With Aniket Verma’s 43 pushing them to 201/9. In reply, despite an early setback, Virat Kohli (69 off 38) and Devdutt Padikkal (61 off 26) stitched a 101-run stand as RCB chased it down in just 15.3 overs.
Game 2: MI beat KKR by six wickets
KKR posted 220/4 riding on Ajinkya Rahane’s 67 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 51.
Game 3: RR beat CSK by eight wickets
In Guwahati, RR bowlers Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger dismantled CSK for 127. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then smashed a stunning 52 off 17 balls, adding 75 with Yashasvi Jaiswal, as RR chased the target in just 12.1 overs.
Game 4: PBKS beat GT by three wickets
GT managed 162/6 with contributions across the order. PBKS looked comfortable at 110/2 before a collapse to 118/6, triggered by Prasidh Krishna. However, Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 72 ensured a tense win in the final over.