Four players to watch in the 2026 IPL

The 2026 Indian Premier League gets underway on March 28, and the field looks as strong as ever. From seasoned match-winners to young bowlers still finding their ceiling, there is no shortage of talent to follow across the tournament’s packed schedule. Whether you are new to the competition or a long-time follower looking to sharpen your IPL betting knowledge, these four players are worth keeping a close eye on as the season unfolds.

Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans)

If there is one batter who arrives at IPL 2026 with genuine momentum, it is Sai Sudharsan. The left-handed Gujarat Titans opener was the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2025, scoring 759 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 156.17, with one century and six fifties. That is a remarkable return, and it came as part of a historically dominant season for the Gujarat top order. Shubman Gill, Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler all crossed 500 runs in 2025, the first time in IPL history that a franchise’s top three all achieved this milestone in the same season.

There was some concern over Sudharsan’s fitness heading into this campaign after he sustained a rib fracture while playing for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but he has since recovered and joined the Gujarat Titans pre-season camp alongside captain Shubman Gill. If he is fully fit from the outset, he is the sort of top-order batter who can shape a team’s entire campaign.

Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians)

Suryakumar Yadav is already one of the most recognisable names in T20 cricket, but 2026 finds him at a particularly fascinating juncture. He captained India to victory in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, becoming the third Indian captain to lift the trophy. He scored 242 runs in nine outings during the tournament, including an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls against the USA.

At franchise level, the situation is intriguing. Hardik Pandya will be leading the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, which means Suryakumar returns to the middle order without the captaincy he held internationally. With Rohit Sharma opening and Suryakumar at number three, Mumbai possess real firepower at the top of their batting order. Whether that dynamic translates into a first IPL title since 2020 remains to be seen, but Suryakumar’s ability to accelerate from any position in the innings makes him one of the tournament’s most dangerous players on his day.

Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans)

While the spotlight tends to fall on Gujarat’s batting, Prasidh Krishna was arguably just as important to their 2025 campaign with the ball. He led the wicket charts for Gujarat last season with 25 wickets in 15 matches. That effort earned him the Purple Cap, a reward that reflects just how consistent he was across the competition.

For those tracking the cricket odds on Gujarat going deep into the tournament again, Prasidh’s form will be a key indicator. He provides the kind of pace and aggression that can unsettle top orders in the powerplay, and his partnership with Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada gives Ashish Nehra genuine options at every stage of an innings. The question heading into 2026 is whether he can maintain that level of output in back-to-back seasons, which few bowlers in IPL history have managed.

Noor Ahmad (Chennai Super Kings)

Noor Ahmad is still only 21, which makes his IPL record all the more impressive. The Afghanistan left-arm wrist-spinner made an immediate impact in IPL 2023 with 16 wickets in Gujarat Titans’ run to the final, followed up with 24 wickets in IPL 2025 for Chennai Super Kings, who had made him their most expensive buy at that year’s auction at 10 crore rupees.

What makes Noor such an interesting prospect is the combination of variety and control he brings. Left-arm wrist spin is a rare skill set in T20 cricket, and his ability to take wickets in the middle overs rather than simply containing gives Chennai a genuine point of difference. He was also part of the Afghanistan squad for both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, accumulating international experience at pace. At Chepauk, where the pitch tends to assist spinners, he could be a decisive figure in Chennai’s campaign.