Punjab Kings finished IPL 2026 at the fifth spot and 15 points (Credit: BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru dominated other franchises once again in the recently concluded edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The Rajat Patidar-led team won the league for the second year in a row. The Gujarat Titans, who have been incredibly consistent since 2022, came in second. Relying on the young shoulders of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals, who were eliminated in Qualifier 2, had a tremendous edition as well. With a strong batting unit, Sunrisers Hyderabad, the fourth-best squad, also had their moments. However, it was Punjab Kings that dominated the first half of the league. The Shreyas Iyer-led team reached 13 points by going seven games without losing. Then the collapse occurred. In the following six games, they suffered 6 straight losses. Despite winning their last game, it was not enough for the Ricky Ponting-coached team to make it into the playoffs. Now, Sachin Tendulkar has examined what went wrong for the team. "Punjab Kings brought wonderful energy to the tournament. Their cricket was positive, brave and often game-changing. Momentum plays a crucial role in lengthy tournaments. Eventually, in such a fast-moving tournament, it boils down to process and not getting attached to results. Punjab focused more on process in the first half and more on results in the second," he wrote in a Reddit post. However, Tendulkar praised the runners-up Gujarat Titans, who as per Sachin, stuck to their methods even when they weren't producing results. "What stands out about the Gujarat Titans is their ability to operate within a remarkably consistent performance band across an entire season. The IPL is inherently volatile, but GT rarely stray too far from their method, even when results fluctuate. They minimise both peaks and troughs, staying close to their brand of cricket more consistently than most teams. Over a long tournament, that ability to control uncertainty often proves more valuable than occasional bursts of brilliance or isolated match-winning performances," he wrote. "Looking back at IPL 2026, I was reminded that tournaments are rarely defined by how they begin. More than once this season, the table told a very different story at the halfway mark than it did at the end. Teams adjusted, players improved, and new solutions emerged as the competition progressed. The game demands constant evolution, and that is part of what makes it so fascinating to watch." Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, IPL 2026, IPL Points Table, and around the Sports. Nikhil is an accomplished sports journalist with extensive experience spanning several years across digital, and multimedia platforms. Currently contr... View More