IPL 2026 Team Maps - and what the markets say

It does feel a little bit like "availability is the best ability" kind of year - and we haven't even started yet.

One of the best things about T20 leagues is the fact that most teams have a chance to win at the start of the competition. In IPL 2025, the bottom team won four games, and the top three teams tied with nine. There’s not a big difference . This year, the market thinks Rajasthan Royals are trash, and yet they still think they are better than a one in 20 chance of winning the title.

But the market can be warped. For instance, CSK came bottom last season and they were third favourites when I checked. Of course, there’s been so many injuries happening that the odds are probably changing very rapidly, but that is quite the bump. And Mumbai Indians are favourites or near, almost every single year.

This year, they’re not just on top, but almost double the chances of CSK in third place. Is that right? Is that wrong? There are many ways to find out.

In Good Areas, we use what we call team maps, which is like a secret source algorithm that basically tells you where you are good at cricket.

It is a beautiful way to make sense of the mess.

When we’re making these team apps, you end up with several different shapes. Occasionally, we find a team that has a nearly perfect shape. It doesn’t always mean you are great - unless you’re positive in every single way.