IPL 2026: Fortress factor — how home advantage is shaping playoff race

In any tournament or league with a home-and-away system, teams usually try to make their home venue a fortress, aiming to collect as many points as possible there so that their fate does not rely heavily on away results.

The Indian Premier League is no exception. With IPL 2026 entering the business end of the league stage and the fight for playoff spots intensifying every day, teams are scrambling to maximise points from each outing — and home advantage is increasingly becoming decisive.

The IPL 2026 standings are still very crowded even after 48 of the 70 league matches are done and dusted. There are no clear trends, even though a few teams like current league leaders Punjab Kings and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have occupied the top two spots for the majority of the season so far.

The difference in points between PBKS at the top and sixth-placed Chennai Super Kings is just three, with each team left with only 4–5 matches. In such a tight race, remaining home fixtures could ultimately decide the final standings.

Home form and bottom half
One clear trend from the 48 matches so far is that teams in contention for the top four — essentially the current top six — have the better home records this season.

In contrast, those in the bottom four — Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants — have struggled badly at home.

LSG, currently at the bottom, have lost all four of their home matches, including a Super Over defeat to KKR. KKR have won just one of four at Eden Gardens, while DC have managed only one win in five at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. MI have won two of six at the Wankhede. These poor home returns have left all four teams fighting to stay relevant in the playoff race.

LSG and MI can reach a maximum of 14 points — historically the bare minimum for qualification — while KKR and DC can get to 17 and 16 respectively. However, that will require a drastic turnaround in their home form.

Except MI, who have just one home game left, the others still have multiple matches at home. DC have two home fixtures remaining, while KKR and LSG have three each. Their playoff hopes may well hinge on how they perform in these games.