Delhi Capitals Scored 13 for 6 in the Powerplay. The IPL Has Never Seen Anything Like That.

We are 39 matches into IPL 2026. The league stage has crossed its halfway mark. The tournament has already thrown up records, controversies, collapses, and a few genuinely extraordinary performances. And now — for the first time this season — the playoff picture is starting to crystallise.

The story at the top of the table is Punjab Kings. Shreyas Iyer's side is the only team in the tournament that is yet to lose a league game. Punjab Kings are the only unbeaten team on the IPL 2026 Points Table, with 13 points. That is remarkable. In a format as volatile as T20 cricket, going unbeaten through seven league matches isn't just form — it's a statement of organisational cohesion.

Right behind them are Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are doing what they have historically almost never managed: turning up consistently. RCB now have 12 points and are in 2nd place behind Punjab Kings.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Kohli and RCB Roar Back, Royals Stumble, and the Race for Playoffs Gets Serious

DC vs RCB — One of the Most Lopsided Matches in IPL History

Monday's match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi was simply extraordinary — though not for the reasons Delhi Capitals would have wanted.

RCB bowled Delhi out for 75 runs in 16.3 overs. But the number that will follow DC into history books: DC crumbled to 13/6 in the powerplay — the lowest six-over total in IPL history. The mayhem started on the second ball of the match when Bhuvneshwar bowled a brilliant inswinging yorker to uproot debutant Sahil Parakh's middle stump. After that, Hazlewood dismissed last-match centurion KL Rahul (1) and Sameer Rizvi (0) on successive deliveries.

RCB then chased the target in 6.3 overs — a finish that boosted their Net Run Rate significantly, which could matter in the tiebreaker situations later in the tournament.

Virat Kohli, in a characteristically calm finish, scored an unbeaten 23 off 15 balls — but the bigger milestone was the run he reached on the way there. Kohli completed his 9,000 runs in the IPL, becoming the first player in history to reach that milestone. He did it in typically understated fashion — not with a century, not with a big flashy knock, but with quiet, unhurried strokeplay that closed out a nine-wicket win.

Axar Patel, DC's captain, did not hold back in the post-match press conference. "Looking at the kind of wicket, if you don't support your bowlers and keep giving away so many chances, then I feel we deserved to lose."

Also Read: Klaasen vs Kohli: The Orange Cap Battle That Could Go to the Wire

The Points Table After Match 39

Here is where every team stands as of April 28, 2026:

Note: Table based on publicly available data as of Match 39.

The 2026 IPL season has reached a clear divide at the halfway stage, with PBKS, RCB, and RR emerging as the dominant favorites while traditional heavyweights like MI and KKR face a near-impossible path to the playoffs.

Orange Cap and Purple Cap — Who's Leading?

Orange Cap (Most Runs)

SRH batter Abhishek Sharma is at the top of the Orange Cap list with 380 runs in 8 games, at a staggering strike rate of 212.29, consistently giving SRH explosive starts. This has been the standout individual performance of the season so far. Sharma isn't just scoring runs — he's doing it at a pace that resets what a powerplay can look like.

RR opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in the second spot with 357 runs in 8 matches, and DC's KL Rahul is in third position with 357 runs in the same number of games. Sooryavanshi — the 14-year-old who became the youngest centurion in IPL history earlier this season — has been the tournament's most talked-about story.

Virat Kohli sits fourth with 351 runs at an average of 58.50 and a strike rate of 162.50. Virat Kohli completing 9,000 IPL runs makes him the first batter to pass that milestone in history.

Purple Cap (Most Wickets)

The bowling race is almost as tight as the batting one. RCB fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is at the top of the Purple Cap list after delivering a match-winning performance against DC. He has taken 14 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 7.61. CSK pacer Anshul Kamboj is in second position with 14 wickets in 8 games at an economy of 8.56, and SRH's Eshan Malinga is in third spot with 14 scalps in 8 games at an economy rate of 9.44.

Josh Hazlewood's match-winning 4/12 against DC also helped him achieve a personal milestone of 50 wickets for RCB, though he currently sits just outside the top five. Jofra Archer (13 wickets for RR) and Prince Yadav — a breakout LSG seamer — are just behind, making this one of the most competitive bowling charts in recent IPL memory.

Today's Match: PBKS vs RR — Match 40 at New Chandigarh

This is the match of the round. Match 40 is PBKS vs RR at New Chandigarh on April 28, 2026, at 2:00 PM.

Punjab Kings, unbeaten and playing at their new home ground in Mullanpur, host Rajasthan Royals in what is effectively a top-of-the-table clash. RR are third with 10 points. A PBKS win extends their unbeaten run. An RR win closes the gap and makes the three-horse race at the top even more interesting.

What to Watch For

• Whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets another big innings — he has been irrepressible against pace bowling this season
• Shreyas Iyer's captaincy decisions, particularly the bowling changes PBKS make in the middle overs
• Jofra Archer's first-over threat — Archer has been RR's most reliable wicket-taker and this pitch historically aids swing

Weather watch: April in Mullanpur can be humid and the evening dew factor matters. The team batting second has an advantage at this ground.

Tomorrow's Match: MI vs SRH — Match 41 at Wankhede (April 29)

Match 41 is MI vs SRH at Wankhede on April 29, 2026, at 2:00 PM.

Mumbai Indians cannot afford many more defeats. At 4 points from 7 games, their playoff chances are hanging by a thread. SRH, with Abhishek Sharma in red-hot form and a middle order that includes Heinrich Klaasen and Travis Head, will be dangerous at Wankhede.

The Wankhede pitch favours batters early and can offer something for pace bowlers under lights. Expect a high-scoring game, with both sides likely targeting 180+.

Teams to Watch Out For in the Second Half

PBKS: The tournament's biggest surprise. Their balance — solid top order, varied bowling attack, excellent fielding — has made them nearly impossible to beat. The next test is whether they can maintain this under increasing pressure as the table starts to matter.

RCB: More consistent than any RCB team in memory. Kohli is their anchor. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood with the new ball are lethal. The issue is their middle overs with the bat — if the top three go early, they can look brittle.

SRH: Abhishek Sharma alone doesn't win you championships, but he has made SRH genuinely feared by any opposition. The question is the bowling unit after the powerplay.

DC: Structurally broken. Losing KL Rahul for 1 after a record 152 in the previous game shows the unpredictability that is hurting them. Three consecutive losses. The dressing room needs to find its spine before the equation becomes mathematical.

KKR & LSG: Both are in real danger. A few wins can still get either back into contention, but they need to start immediately.

The Playoff Picture

Four teams make the playoffs. With 14 league matches remaining, here's the realistic landscape:

Very likely to qualify: PBKS, RCB Strong contenders: RR, SRH Need a run: GT, CSK Miracle territory: DC, MI, KKR, LSG

The two group system (Group A: CSK, RR, RCB, KKR, PBKS; Group B: GT, MI, DC, SRH, LSG) means inter-group matches carry extra weight for run rate and qualification nuances. Watch the fixtures carefully over the next two weeks.

FAQs

Q1. Who is leading the IPL 2026 points table? Punjab Kings (PBKS) lead with 13 points from 7 matches. They are the only unbeaten team in the tournament. RCB are second with 12 points from 8 matches.

Q2. Who holds the Orange Cap in IPL 2026? Abhishek Sharma (SRH) leads with 380 runs in 8 matches at a strike rate of 212.29. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) and KL Rahul (DC) are joint second with 357 runs each.

Q3. Who holds the Purple Cap in IPL 2026? Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) leads with 14 wickets in 8 matches at an economy of 7.61. Anshul Kamboj (CSK) and Eshan Malinga (SRH) are level at 14 wickets each.

Q4. What is today's IPL match on April 28, 2026? Match 40 is PBKS vs RR at the New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) ground at 2:00 PM IST.

Q5. Which teams are in danger of missing the playoffs? KKR, MI, and LSG are all on 4 points and in serious trouble. DC have 6 points but poor form. The top four spots are increasingly likely to go to PBKS, RCB, RR, and one of SRH or GT.