The 19th season of Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is set to commence on March 28. Ahead of the tournament, fans are eager to know which teams will constitute the top four this season, as well as which six teams will fail to qualify for the playoffs.
The teams participating in IPL 2026 include Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, and Lucknow Super Giants.
Among these contenders, which four teams will secure a spot in the playoffs, and which six will miss out on the top four? Former Indian cricketer Amit Mishra has offered his insights on this matter.
Speaking to a private media channel, Amit Mishra – who holds the record for taking the most hat-tricks (three) in IPL – shared his predictions regarding these teams.
Who Will Be Top 4 Teams in IPL 2026?
When asked to identify the top four teams for IPL 2026, Amit Mishra replied: “In my opinion, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and either Delhi Capitals or Gujarat Titans will make it into the top four.”
Subsequently, when asked if RCB would not feature in the top four, he responded, “I forgot about RCB. I would like to place Royal Challengers Bangalore in the spot currently occupied by Delhi Capitals.” Thus, Amit Mishra has effectively selected five teams as his favorites to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Amit Mishra’s Top 4 Teams
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Gujarat Giants
In addition to this, Amit Mishra has excluded 6 franchises from the top 4 contenders for IPL 2026.
Along with RCB, he has ruled out Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals from the race for playoffs. According to him, these 6 teams will not be able to secure a spot in the top 4 of IPL 2026.
Teams Excluded from Top 4 by Amit Mishra
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi Capitals
Lucknow Super Giants
Chennai Super Kings
Punjab Kings
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bangalore clinched IPL 2025 trophy. Led by Virat Kohli, this team claimed their first-ever IPL title in 2025. Now, in the upcoming IPL season, RCB will take the field as the defending champions, setting out to defend their title.
Apart from RCB, any team that makes the mistake of taking the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, lightly could pay a heavy price. Both these teams possess the full potential to win the IPL 2026 trophy. In addition to CSK, the Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals also have the capability to overpower any opponent.
