It is always tough to pick an IPL XI, more so when a host of players come up with consistent performances. Former India spinner Murali Kartik did try though. But then the biggest highlight of his team was, he left out GT skipper Shubman Gill, who in the last match, qualifier 2 against RR, went on to score a superb ton to guide his team home, while chasing 215.
Shubman Gill misses out on opener’s berth
In fact, he is the second-highest run-getter in the season, scoring 722. Speaking on Cricbuzz, instead of Gill, he went with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sai Sudharsan as the openers. The 15-year-old is the current orange cap holder with 776 runs. Sudharsan, Gill’s batting partner at GT, has 710 runs to his name.
In the middle-order, he went with a surprise pick in Virat Kohli, who plays for RCB as an opener. The 37-year-old has rediscovered his T20 batting, and is scoring at an SR of 164. With that he has accumulated 600 runs, with 105 being his highest. A ton and four fifties have come his way. A totally justifiable selection.
At no. 4 comes in Ishan Kishan, who had an excellent season for SRH. He too amassed over 600 runs in the league. One of his best knocks in IPL 2026 came against RR, where he scored 91 in 44 deliveries, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, in Hyderabad.
Nitish Kumar Reddy & Krunal Pandya as openers
NKR has been a different beast in the season. Bowling form looks a lot better, he is raking up speeds in excess of 140 kmph, and scoring some runs too. He has picked up 8 wickets in 14 matches, which is decent for a 5-6th bowler. As far as batting is concerned, he managed to get 302 runs including a fifty, and at an SR of 171.
Krunal just has to be the most improved spinner in the league for he last two years. The variations — especially the bouncer, manages to surprise the batters, actually, manages to instill fear in the batters. He has 13 wickets in 15, and the economy rate has been only 8.64. He has scored 225 runs too, including an innings of 73.
Bhuvi, Jofra, Rabada as pacers
These three have to be the best pacers in the league, and Kartik picked them. The South African is the leading wicket taker for now, and has 28 scalps to his name in 16 encounters. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 26 in 15 at an economy rate of 8.00, while Jofra has been the best bowler for RR with 25 wickets. Come the IPL 2026 final between GT and RCB, both Rabada and Bhuvneshwar will have the chance to increase the wicket-count.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Impact Player), Sai Sudharsan, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Krunal Pandya, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada.
Cricket
Sanju Samson snubbed against Gautam Gambhir's wishes, no rift between head coach, Agarkar
