What they ‘did not do’ to reach the play-offs

By K.R. Nayar 

A lot has been discussed about the salient qualities and common factors among the four teams that qualified for the Indian Premier League 2026 playoffs. It might also be interesting to examine what these teams did not do, which carried them into the final four.

One important factor was their controlled panic under pressure. They avoided reckless performances like trying to win the match in one over. One did not see them change plans every three balls, and most importantly, they had captains who avoided brain fades like overlooking their strike bowlers’ quota.

The IPL is entertainment, but some analyse it like a Test match. It is so funny that on numerous occasions, teams that were talked and written about as having the best top order lost all their top batters before the 50-run mark. Again, one cannot be sure that all of these four teams will have great performances in the playoffs.

Take Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), for instance. They ensured that cricket didn’t turn into a blockbuster thriller playing across Bengaluru’s theatres. No unnecessary plot twists, no melodrama—just a script that stayed sensible.

Gujarat Titans (GT) avoided the habit of overthinking. The result was that there was no experimental chaos like some other teams experienced. They played their matches like a government office file, sailing through many departments, signing off with victories during crucial matches and moving forward steadily.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) avoided pressing the destruct button. They played with discipline. Maybe it had a lot to do with their name. They made it their routine, like getting up early—brush, bat well, bowl well, and win matches. Like a sunrise, they arrived with quiet assurance.  When pressure peaked, they glowed brighter.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) avoided madness when riding high like it happened to Punjab Kings. They accepted victories with gratitude and played the next match with the same verve to win. Their cricket was like a fine Rajasthani meal—rich, satisfying, and never carelessly served. 

What these four teams truly mastered was the art of not inventing new ways to lose—a skill that proved fatal for many others.  It is hard to avoid doing foolish things in the chaos of T20 cricket. These teams didn’t just avoid mistakes; they avoided repeating them.

None of these four teams behaved like stereotypical T20 sides. They avoided blindly following T20’s wild instincts. They slogged but avoided blind slogging. The two teams, RCB and RR, which had “Royal” affixed to their names, played royal cricket. The other two teams also remained composed during crises. The early race was for the “sweet 16” (points), and then the push to 18 for a top-two finish, which RCB and GT achieved.

The contributors to all these teams’ victories remained the same—powerplay hitters, middle-order stabilisers, and death bowlers. Teams whose powerplay hitters did not fire, and those whose middle-order players failed to stabilise the innings, crashed out. Death bowlers who failed also rang the death bell for their teams. All these four teams had many heroes, not just one.

The IPL is played at tremendous speed, and those who could not stay with the rhythm found every step tough. So, is there any lesson for the fans to learn from these four teams?  One lesson would be to avoid predicting the winner and feeling disappointed if the prediction goes wrong. Instead, enjoy the matches like the four did to win their matches. So, sit back, embrace the chaos, and enjoy the spectacle—because IPL has always been unpredictable excitement.