IPL Pulse: April showers, May flounders

Penultimate Monday of IPL 2026. Avoid looking at the standings – traffic jam outside your office is nothing compared to the points table logjam. Three slots, half-a-dozen teams with calculators running hot.

Last evening in five lines

• Defending champions RCB cruise into the Playoffs
• RCB's total sets new record for IPL 2026
• PBKS succumb to sixth loss on the bounce
• Starc plucks four; DC's death-batting shows up
• RCB become first team to enter Playoffs with resounding win

Virat Kohli found new records, Venkatesh Iyer found his mojo. PBKS's top-order unraveled.

Venkatesh wins the battle-of-the-Iyers – emphatic victory over opposition captain Shreyas (out for 1, second-best Iyer, second-best No.4, second-best December 1994 born).

PBKS get the proverb-buster award: "April showers bring May flowers"? No. Their campaign needs serious self-reflection.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets Boss Baby award – carrying an entire lineup on his 15-year-old shoulders.

Tim David wins Gabbar lite award for match-sealing catch celebration.

RCB get hat-tip award – reaching playoffs with 18 points.

Seven teams still mathematically alive. GT can slip out on a four-way 16-point tie with lowest NRR. KKR can go through with 13 points if results go their way.

Riyan Parag: "If we keep playing like this, we shouldn't be in contention for top 4. If we don't qualify, it's our fault."

Venky Iyer: "I'd lie if I said I wasn't frustrated not playing." Emotional bond with KKR but feels at home with RCB.

KL Rahul on strike-rates: "Still haven't cracked it completely. Sport is trial and error."

Shreyas Iyer: "Tomorrow I'll see the sunrise. There's always light at the end of the tunnel."

Hemang Badani after DC's win: "We've stopped discussing the surface – we play this as an away venue." DC had 71.4% loss percentage at home – definite 'home disadvantage'.

DC have dropped 22 catches with 63.3% efficiency – worst by any side. Only PBKS are worse.

CSK's final home game. Could Dhoni walk in for a final goodbye? Either way, wait has been too long.

CSK still in hunt for playoffs. Win against SRH is next step, complications await if they lose.

Simple equation: SRH beats CSK, both SRH and GT go through.

Reckless prediction for today: "Definitely not" – Thala for another season.