A first week of IPL fixtures is in the books for 2026. Delhi Capitals’ win against Lucknow Super Giants means that all teams have now played, giving fans plenty of food for thought.

The build-up to the season was full of speculation regarding who might be a potential winner of the tournament, and the first week has already given an indication of who those challengers are. But it’s also shown certain teams where work needs to be done.

IPL 2026: Two favorites impress

Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru started their title defense with a win, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets with 26 balls remaining. Even more impressively, they pulled off the fastest 200+ run chase, needing just 15.4 overs to catch their opponents.

New Zealander Jacob Duffy impressed on his debut, finishing with 3/22, while Romario Shepherd also took three wickets. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal then excelled with the bat, reaching 69 and 61 respectively. It was a strong showing all around as they laid down a marker.

Their closest competition is expected to be Mumbai Indians, who showed why they are considered favorites for the series against Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite being set a target of 221, Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma formed a superb opening partnership which could put them in fine stead for the rest of the season. And on the other side of the ball, equal praise should go to Shardul Thakur, whose three wickets led Mumbai’s attack.

It is certainly shaping up to be a thrilling season, with the two games between Mumbai and RCB potential indicators of who has the edge in 2026. Sports bettors looking to back either team can use a dafabet bonus code to access a welcome bonus to use on the games.

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals show flaws

While both Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals were victorious in their first match, both showed cracks which need addressing. The former were indebted to Player of the Match Cooper Connolly after their middle order’s collapse against Gujarat Titans threatened to derail a win powered by their bowling attack.

Delhi’s bowlers did well against the Super Giants, limiting their opponents to just 141. But their batting slipped to 26-4 before impact substitute Sameer Rizvi, who hit 70 not out, got them on the path to victory. That won’t be a sustainable path to IPL success if it continues.

The best of the losers

The two teams defeated by RCB and Mumbai can take solace in their performances. Sunrisers looked strong with the bat, particularly Ishan Kishan, who managed 80, while both Heinrich Klaasen (31) and Aniket Verma (43) reached respectable figures.

As for the Knight Riders, they must have thought that they were on track for victory after posting 220/4. Captain Ajinkya Rahane scored 67 off 40 balls before a 51 from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and double digits from Cameron Green and Rinku Singh put them in a good position. If they perform like that against other teams, they will pick up plenty of wins.

The Titans might also find solace in their loss. Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler both looked solid enough with the bat and the team knows that Sai Sudharsan is too good to keep scoring 13 or lower.

New stars, no change for Chennai Super Kings

In acquiring the 2026 T20 World Cup player of the Tournament Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings must have thought that they would be better at the crease. But against Samson’s old team, they crumbled yet again.

Bowled out for a lowly 127, Rajasthan Royals had no trouble chasing down the target as CSK’s woes moved from one side of the ball to the other. As for the Royals, perhaps they could be a potential obstacle for several teams, particularly if their bowling order of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger builds on impressive performances. Although it’s hard to say how effective they will be against better opposition.