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Former India batter Aakash Chopra has flagged potential concerns for Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of IPL 2026, pointing to their youthful and relatively inexperienced batting unit as a key challenge. The Royals made a major call before the auction by trading Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), bringing in Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja in return. The Royals also traded Nitish Rana to Delhi Capitals and acquired Donovan Ferreira via a trade.

Many IPL greats have been consistent wicket-takers without ever winning the Purple Cap. Sunil Narine often gets blocked by batters, limiting his wickets despite excellent economy. Piyush Chawla has been steady but lacks a standout season.

Ravichandran Ashwin focuses on control over wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah is avoided due to his threat. Ravindra Jadeja plays a defensive role. Their impact remains huge despite missing the top individual honour.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have announced Ishan Kishan as stand-in captain for the upcoming IPL season, with Abhishek Sharma named vice-captain, as regular skipper Pat Cummins recovers from injury. The franchise confirmed Cummins will miss a few matches, prompting the temporary leadership change.

Kishan, known for his aggressive batting, has been a consistent performer in the IPL, scoring nearly 3,000 runs in 119 matches at a strike rate of over 137. He has also impressed behind the stumps with multiple dismissals. In the 2025 season, he scored 354 runs, including a century.

The 27-year-old is currently in top form, having delivered an outstanding T20 World Cup campaign. He scored 317 runs in nine innings at an impressive strike rate above 193, emerging as India’s second-highest run-scorer and strengthening his credentials as a leader.

Injuries, or non-availability, to top pacers close to the start of the IPL can give sleepless nights to franchise coaches and the support staff. While Lucknow Super Giants, for a few years now, have been one of the worst-affected teams, this time around three teams are sweating over their pace resources — Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

For KKR, their top two pacers — Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana — are dealing with injuries. They lost Mustafizur Rahman too due to reasons beyond cricket, but have drafted in Zimbabwean Blessing Muzarabani in his place. SRH, too, are in tricky territory over the fitness of their skipper Pat Cummins while it’s not sure whether RCB will get their spearhead Josh Hazlewood from the beginning of the tournament.

Virat Kohli has arrived in Bengaluru well ahead of the upcoming IPL season, joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they gear up to defend their title.

The star batter was central to RCB’s historic triumph last season, finishing with 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and an impressive average of 54.75, including eight half-centuries. His consistency at the top played a huge role in ending the franchise’s long wait for silverware.

RCB finally broke their 18-year title drought, with Rajat Patidar stepping up as a leader during the campaign. Having achieved that milestone, the focus now shifts to repeating the success in what promises to be a challenging title defence.

Rahul batted at No. 4, a position decided before the season started, in most games last season, but a course correction occurred after 11 league matches. The change in position reaped instant rewards as Rahul hit an unbeaten 65-ball 112 against the Gujarat Titans. However, it came in a losing cause as the Shubman Gill-led unit overhauled the 200-run target with ten wickets in hand, and an over to spare.

Rahul was the Delhi Capitals’ leading run-getter last year, scoring 539 runs in 13 games. Rahul’s strike rate was 149.72, which marked his best since the 2018 edition.

Delhi Capitals have started preparations for the upcoming season, and the multiple preparatory camps featuring Indian players have already happened in Delhi and Hyderabad. The coaching staff, led by head coach Hemang Badani and Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, has shifted focus to the IPL after fulfilling their commitments for The Hundred. More clarity on roles will emerge when captain Axar Patel links up with the squad.

Ishan Kishan has been appointed Sunrisers Hyderabad captain for IPL 2026 ahead of Abhishek Sharma, with the franchise prioritising proven leadership over seniority. Kishan’s resurgence after his 2023 setback, was back up by a strong T20 World Cup showing and consistent domestic performances, strengthened his case. He led Jharkhand to a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and impressed with both bat and captaincy. Backed by former India player Shahbaz Nadeem, Kishan is viewed as a natural leader, known for his game awareness as a wicketkeeper and ability to nurture young players SRH believe will benefit the team.

In the absence of Pat Cummins, the regular SRH skipper, the management has zeroed down on Ishan Kishan to take charge till the time Cummins returns. While it was widely believed Abhishek Sharma is likely to take over the mantle, it was hard to ignore what Kishan as done as a leader at the domestic level, leading his state side Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year. Cummins return date is not yet known, but Times of India has learned that Kishan’s elevation is certain with Abhishek being the deputy.