Players of Punjab Kings (ANI Photo) In any tournament or league with a home-away system, teams usually try to make their home venue a fortress, aiming to collect as many points there as possible so that their fate does not depend too much on away results.The Indian Premier League is no exception. As IPL 2026 enters the business end of the league phase and the battle for play-off spots intensifies by the day, teams are looking to maximize points from each outing – and home advantage is becoming increasingly crucial.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Debut in India: Calls are getting louderThe IPL 2026 standings are still very busy even after playing and sweeping 48 of the 70 league matches. There are no clear trends, although several teams such as current league leaders Punjab Kings and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have occupied the top two spots for most of the season so far.The points gap between top-placed PBKS and sixth-placed Chennai Super Kings is just three with only 4-5 games remaining for each team. In such a tight race, the final standings could ultimately be decided by the remaining home games.
LSG captain Rishabh Pant with Nicholas Pooran (ANI Photo)
Home form and bottom halfOne clear trend from the 48 games so far is that the teams fighting for the top four – essentially the current top six – have better home records this season.In contrast, those in the bottom four – Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants – struggled badly at home.LSG, currently rock bottom, have lost all four of their home matches, including a Super Over defeat to KKR. KKR have won just one in four at the Eden Gardens, while DC have managed just one in five at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. MI have won two out of six at the Wankhede. These poor home returns have left all four teams struggling to stay relevant in the playoffs.LSG and MI can score a maximum of 14 points – an all-time low to qualify – while KKR and DC can score 17 and 16 points respectively. However, this will require a drastic turnaround in their domestic form.Apart from MI, who have only one home match to play, the others have a few more matches at home. DC have two home matches left, while KKR and LSG have three each. Their playoff hopes may hinge on how they perform in those games. The best half of the ride home advantageIn contrast, the best teams made home conditions matter. PBKS have won three of four at home and need just two more wins to reach the 17-point mark, a safe space for play-off qualification, with three home games remaining.RCB have been even stronger, losing just once at home and winning four out of five. There are two home games left and those games could seal their spot in the playoffs.Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, all on 12 points, have also built solid home records and will look to maximize their remaining home matches to gain an edge.CSK, despite being sixth, remain in contention mainly thanks to their strong domestic form. There are two home games left and they may need to win both – and possibly all of their remaining games – to finish in the top four.As the league phase draws to a close, one factor is increasingly clear: the path to the playoffs is shaping up at home in IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Points Table After Match #48:
PosTeamPWLNRPtsNRR1Punjab Kings962113+0.8552Royal Challengers Bengaluru963012+1.4203Sunrisers Hyderabad1064012+0.6444Rajasthan Royals1064012+0.5105Gujarat Titans1064012-0.1476Chennai Super Kings1055010+0.1517Delhi Capitals104608-0.9498Kolkata Knight Riders93517-0.5399Mumbai Indians103706-0.607910Luck Super40.649219Luck.
