Star Sports announces English commentary panel for IPL 2026

IPL seasons are remembered for much more than just two months of cricket. They are a complete entertainment spectacle, where the action on the field is matched by the excitement created off it. Commentary plays a key role in this, adding depth, emotion, and energy to every moment of the game.

As IPL 2026 approaches, the Indian Premier League is set to deliver yet another thrilling season, beginning on March 28. Broadcasters are leaving no stone unturned to enhance the viewing experience. Along with high-intensity matches, fans can look forward to top-quality analysis, as Star Sports has announced a strong and diverse panel of commentators for the upcoming edition.

The IPL has always stood out for combining exciting cricket with engaging and insightful commentary. Continuing this tradition, Star Sports has brought together a balanced mix of legendary cricketers, experienced broadcasters, and fresh voices, ensuring a rich and enjoyable experience for viewers throughout IPL 2026.

Also read -Ravichandran Ashwin joins Hindi commentary panel for IPL 2026

Full list of English commentators revealed ahead of IPL 2026

Well-known names like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri will lead the commentary panel, bringing many years of experience and useful insights. Adding more excitement, T20 stars like AB de Villiers and Suresh Raina will also be part of the panel, offering fresh ideas and modern views of the game.

With ten teams playing over 70 matches, including the opening game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the commentators will play an important role in making the matches more exciting for fans around the world.

Here is the complete list of English commentators:

AB de Villiers, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Clarke, Sunil Gavaskar, M Kartik, Ian Bishop, Simon Doull, Danny Morrison, Darren Ganga, Knick Knight, Graeme Swann, Alan Wilkins, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Anjum Chopra, WV Raman, Raunak Kapoor, Mitchell McClenaghan, Katey Martin, Simon Katich, Harsha Bhogle, and Ravi Shastri.

The Hindi commentary team features a mix of former players and experts like Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, and Navjot Singh Sidhu, bringing energy and strong insights.  Hindi digital watch-along will include Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, and others, sharing match insights and player experiences. The Tamil feed will feature Russel Arnold and RJ Balaji, along with names like Manvinder Bisla and S Badrinath, adding regional flavor.

Complete list of Hindi commentators:

Ravichandran Ashwin, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Anil Kumble, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sanjay Bangar, Piyush Chawla, Mohammad Kaif, Ajay Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, Aakash Chopra, Saba Karim, Padamjeet Sehrawat, Anant Tyagi, and Deep Dasgupta

Complete list of Tamil, Bengali and other commentators:

Tamil: RJ Balaji, Muthuraman, Vishnu Hariharan, Ashwath Bobo, KV Satyanarayan, Subramaniam Badrinath, Yo Mahesh, Sadagopan Ramesh, Thirush Kamini, Baba Aparajith, Baba Indrajith, R Sridhar, Russel Arnold, and Abhinav Mukund

Telugu: MSK Prasad, Hanuma Vihari, NC Kaushik, T Suman, Kalyan Krishna, Ashish Reddy, Akshath Reddy, Ravi Teja, and Kalyan Kollarappu

Kannada: Vinay Kumar, Vijay Bharadwaj, Srinivas Murthy, Kiran Srinivasa, Sumesh Goni, Shashank Suresh, Bharat Chipli, K Gowtham, Pavan Deshpande, GK Anil, B Akhil, J Suchith, and Veda Krishnamurthy

Bhojpuri: Sumit Mishra, Saurabh Singh, Shivam Singh, Gulam Hussain, Satya Prakash, Abhay Kumar, and Jwala Singh

Punjabi: Sarandeep Singh, Chetan Sharma, Rahul Sharma, VRV Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Mandeep Singh, Gurjit Singh, and Sunil Taneja

Haryanvi: Manvinder Bisla, Anil Chaudhary, Sonu Sharma, Ajit R, Ashish Hooda, Sumit Narwal, Vishwaas, and Ravin Kundu

Marathi: Dhawal Kulkarni, Kiran More, Salil Ankola, Aditya Tare, Prasad Kshirsagar, Praveen Tambe, Prasanna Sant, Chaitanya Sant, and Ganesh Joshi

Gujarati: Sheldon Jackson, Nayan Mongia, Atul Bedade, Rakesh Patel, Bhargav Bhatt, Aseem Parikh, Akash Trivedi, and Manpreet Juneja

Malayalam: Sachin Baby, Vishnu Hariharan, VA Jagadeesh, CM Deepak, Rohan Prem, Sony Cheravatur, Raiphi Gomez, Manu Krishnan, MD Nideesh, and Aju John Thomas

Bengali: Shreevats Goswami, Jhulan Goswami, Saradindu Mukherjee, RJ Varun, Sanjeeb Mukherjea, Subhomoy Das, Shiladitya Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Raja Venkatraman, and Gautam Bhattacharya

IPL 2026 to begin from March 28 as new season kicks off

The Indian Premier League 2026 season is set to commence on March 28, bringing back the excitement of one of the world’s most popular cricket leagues. Fans can look forward to high-intensity matches, top international and domestic players, and competitive performances as teams battle for the title. With well-balanced squads and fresh strategies, the new season promises engaging action from the outset.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to cancel the opening ceremony this year. The decision has been taken as a mark of respect for the 11 lives lost in a tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru last year, which occurred a day after Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured the IPL 2025 title.

As per the official schedule, the tournament will proceed as planned, with the opening match to be played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28. The season will conclude on May 31, with the final scheduled to take place in Bengaluru.