Punjab Kings’ unbeaten run in IPL 2026 finally came to an end on Tuesday, as Rajasthan Royals produced a composed chase to secure a six-wicket win in Match 40 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Chasing a competitive total set by Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals reached the target with four balls to spare, dealing a timely blow to the league leaders while tightening the battle at the top of the table.
Despite the defeat, Punjab Kings remain at the summit of the IPL 2026 standings with 13 points, though their net run rate took a noticeable hit and the margin at the top has narrowed significantly.
RR climb into top three as playoff race tightens
With this result, Rajasthan Royals moved to third place on the table with 12 points from nine matches, level on points with Royal Challengers Bengaluru but behind on net run rate.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru continue to hold second place courtesy of a superior net run rate, while Sunrisers Hyderabad remain steady in fourth position with 10 points.
Gujarat Titans stay in the mix in fifth spot, keeping the mid-table tightly packed as the league approaches its decisive phase.
Table takes shape as bottom half struggles continue
At the other end of the standings, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians continue to struggle, both stuck on four points and increasingly under pressure to produce an unlikely late surge to stay in playoff contention.
With just a handful of games left in the league stage, the standings are beginning to take clearer shape, but the gap between qualification and elimination remains thin across the middle order.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
| 1 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | +1.043 |
| 2 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | +1.919 |
| 3 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | +0.617 |
| 4 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | +0.815 |
| 5 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | -0.475 |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -0.121 |
| 7 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -1.060 |
| 8 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | -0.751 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | -0.736 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | -1.106 |
Table takes shape as bottom half struggles continue
At the other end of the standings, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians continue to struggle, both stuck on four points and increasingly under pressure to produce an unlikely late surge to stay in playoff contention.
With just a handful of games left in the league stage, the standings are beginning to take clearer shape, but the gap between qualification and elimination remains thin across the middle order.