The former star member of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Aakash Chopra, has analyzed the squad for the three-time champions heading into the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He raised a few concerns over the batting department and discussed the various combinations that could be put on.

Kolkata, who came into the auction with a massive purse, went on to sign the star all-rounder, Cameron Green, along with the left-arm pacer of Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman, and the Sri Lankan speedster, Matheesha Pathirana. Chopra decoded the squad.

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“A topic of discussion would be which four overseas players would play. Among the four overseas players, if they make a keeper-batter open, who will bat in the lower order? That is a big question. They have generally had a keeper opener. They have taken Tim Seifert and Finn Allen this time.” Aakash Chopra expressed on his YouTube channel.

Akash Chopra decodes KKR squad for IPL 2026

Kolkata perhaps had the worst campaign for any side in the IPL that won the trophy in the previous edition. The Knight Riders will hope to turn it around in 2026.

“If I make Narine open with Rahane, play Cameron Green at No. 3, Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a keeper at No. 4 or else get Tejasvi to keep, then Rinku at No. 5, Ramandeep at No. 6, and Rovman Powell at No. 7 or vice versa, and then Tejasvi, how is it looking now? It looks like a better team. You can use Tejasvi if required. If you don’t need him, you can get Anukul Roy.” Chopra addressed.

“They already had 16 overs of bowling. They now have 22-23 overs of bowling. They already had Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakaravarthy. Then two or three overs from Cameron Green and four overs from Matheesha Pathirana/Mustafizur Rahman. This is a gun bowling unit.” The former opener of India concluded.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for IPL 2026:

Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep

Australian all-rounder Tim David is racing against time to regain fitness for the T20 World Cup 2026 and IPL 2026 after suffering a hamstring injury during a Big Bash League (BBL) match against Perth Scorchers on Friday, December 26.

David was batting on 42 off 28 balls when he hurt his hamstring while running between the wickets. The 29-year-old looked frustrated after the injury and walked off the field on the advice of the medical staff.

This is Tim David’s second hamstring injury this year. Earlier, he missed two months of cricket, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s strong playoff run in IPL 2025. The team did not rush his return, and he made his comeback in the T20I series against West Indies, where he played three of the five matches.

With the T20 World Cup less than 40 days away, Australia and Tim David cannot afford another long injury break. Hobart Hurricanes confirmed that David will undergo a scan on Saturday to assess the injury. His availability for the rest of the BBL season and the T20 World Cup 2026 will be decided after the results.

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Did his part in the chase before an untimely injury intervened. ❤️‍🩹

Wishing Tim David a smooth and speedy recovery. ❤️#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/WXZv2cDsyc

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) December 26, 2025

Tim David Is in Great Form in T20 Cricket

Tim David was the only Hobart Hurricanes batter who looked comfortable during the tricky 151-run chase. He played a key role in the match and also won the Player of the Match award.

The year 2025 has been outstanding for David in T20 internationals, even though he missed several matches due to injury. He scored 395 runs in 10 innings at a remarkable strike rate of 197.5, including 36 sixes.

If Tim David misses the T20 World Cup 2026, it would be a huge blow for Australia. Speaking after the match, David explained his injury concern.

“I just felt a little bit of something when I was trying to come back for two. It’s not ideal, but I didn’t want to make it worse. I had full faith in the boys to get us home. We’ll wait and see,” David told Channel 7.

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) added a new dimension to their success with their runners-up finish in the IPL 2025 season. The franchise had struggled for a decade since its last final in 2014, but a major change in strategy last season turned things around.

PBKS invested heavily in young and uncapped Indian players in their starting eleven, and the results exceeded even the highest expectations. It was no surprise that the still-title-less franchise continued to focus on uncapped Indian cricketers in the recent 2026 auction.

Both of their Indian acquisitions in the auction were uncapped players, including the relatively unknown Vishal Nishad. Still under 21, Vishal is seen as a valuable addition to PBKS' leg-spin attack, alongside the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal.

Here are five interesting facts about PBKS’ latest uncapped signing, Vishal Nishad, the young leg-spinner.

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1. Struggles Moving from Tennis Ball to Leather Ball

Most young Indian players face big challenges on their way from childhood cricket to an IPL contract. Vishal Nishad is no different. He faced financial problems just to switch from tennis-ball to leather-ball cricket.

Growing up in a small village near Gorakhpur, Vishal played tennis-ball cricket on uneven surfaces because he could not afford a leather ball.

"I didn’t have money even to buy basic equipment," Vishal said in an interview (via Money Control).
His coach, Kalyan Singh, did not charge him any fees for three years, knowing about his financial struggles.

2. Vishal Nishad’s Journey to an IPL Contract

Vishal’s road to an IPL contract involved impressing several members of the PBKS support staff. Even though he started playing leather-ball cricket only four years ago, the 20-year-old quickly rose through the ranks and became important for the Gorakhpur Lions in the UPT20 League.

Uttar Pradesh captain Ankit Rajpoot, who is also a PBKS scout, recommended Vishal to head coach Ricky Ponting.

"Vishal impressed me a lot during the trials for the Gorakhpur Lions in 2024, and I thought he could make it to an IPL team. First, he bowled in nets for the Andhra Pradesh team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was watched by AP’s mentor and Punjab Kings assistant coach, Trevor Gonsalves," Rajpoot said (via Hindustan Times).

He added, "After that, my suggestion, along with videos and pictures, met the expectations of Ricky Ponting and PBKS bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule."

Vishal has not yet played a match for Uttar Pradesh in any of the three formats, but has joined their camp for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.

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3. A Virat Kohli Fan

Like many young Indian players, Vishal idolises Virat Kohli. In a recent interview, he said he has wanted to be like Kohli since school.

"I always wanted to be a cricketer like Virat Kohli. I would love to bowl to him if I ever get the chance. I left my studies after 12th grade for cricket and never miss watching Kohli play," said Vishal (via the same source).

Kohli is one of the greatest batters in cricket history, with nearly 28,000 runs and 84 centuries.

4. UP League Performances

Vishal Nishad’s most notable performances so far came in the 2024 UP T20 League for Gorakhpur Lions. The 20-year-old took seven wickets in four matches at an average of 14 and an economy rate of just 7.

His best bowling was 3/45 in four overs against the Noida Kings. In that game, he dismissed veteran IPL star Nitish Rana for just 14 runs.

Strong numbers. Strong impact.
Here’s why Punjab Kings invested in Vishal Nishad at the IPL auction.#IPL2026 #IPL #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/wbWAYi3lZn

— UP T20 League (@t20uttarpradesh) December 21, 2025

5. The Next Varun Chakravarthy?

Ankit Rajpoot, who guided Vishal’s cricket career, compared his bowling style to T20 star Varun Chakravarthy. Interestingly, Varun also made his IPL debut with PBKS, the team that signed Vishal in the 2026 auction.

"What I like most about Vishal is his bowling style. He is a mystery spinner like Varun Chakravarthy and Ajantha Mendis. It is hard to read his length. He can hit the stumps from anywhere," said Rajpoot.

Varun has become a top T20 bowler and is currently ranked No. 1 in T20Is.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised defending IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for signing New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy at his base price during the IPL mini auction. Ashwin called the move a smart and valuable buy considering Duffy’s recent performances.

The 31-year-old right-arm pacer has been in excellent form and is currently ranked number two among bowlers in T20 internationals. His strong performances across all major formats have established him as one of the top bowling performers this year.

Duffy recently impressed in the third and final Test against the West Indies, where he took nine wickets. His effort helped New Zealand register a big 323-run victory in the match.

Ashwin Calls 2025 Jacob Duffy’s “Coming of Age” Year

With his nine-wicket haul, Duffy also broke a long-standing New Zealand record. He went past the 40-year-old record of Richard Hadlee by becoming the Kiwi bowler with the most wickets in a single calendar year. Duffy has taken 81 wickets in 2025, beating Hadlee’s 79 wickets from 1985.  In the three-match Test series against the West Indies, Duffy picked up a five-wicket haul in each game and finished with 23 wickets. Ashwin took note of these performances and said that 2025 has been Duffy’s “coming of age” year as a cricketer.

What a cricketer Jacob Duffy is turning out to be. 2025 has been his coming of age year.

23 wickets at 15.43, 40.3 Strike rate and MOS in the tests against Windies.

He’s also the current #2 ranked T20I bowler, with a sensational 2025 in T20s with 57 wickets at 18.9, 7.89… pic.twitter.com/Oda9LxdqxX

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 22, 2025

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Ashwin wrote on X that Duffy is operating at peak efficiency, highlighting his strong Test numbers and impressive T20 record. He also said that RCB picking him up at a base price of INR 2 crore was an “absolute steal” and a sensational move.

RCB signed Duffy for INR 2 crore at the mini auction in Abu Dhabi. This will be his first season in the Indian Premier League, where he could act as a like-for-like replacement for Josh Hazlewood if needed.

While Punjab Kings didn't retain Josh Inglis ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Lucknow Super Giants later signed the Australian cricketer by winning the mini-auction bid for INR 8.6 crore. Now, Inglis revealed that he wouldn't be available for the entire IPL 2026, and we are talking about the reason that he also revealed. 

I'm getting married in early April: Josh Inglis

Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis will marry in early April 2026. As the IPL 2026 will run between March 26 and May 31, he is unlikely to be available for the entire season. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) went into the IPL 2026 auction with a very limited budget. So, they had to move smartly. The franchise retained most of their players from the last season. During the auction, they mostly invested in young players. 

Kanishk Chouhan was one of the emerging players who was picked by RCB from the IPL 2026 mini auction. The all-rounder is an integral part of the India Under-19 setup who has so far performed brilliantly in the ongoing Asia Cup U-19 tournament. After the auction, Indian cricket fans got more curious about the player. 

The 19-year-old was among the best performers during the India U-19 vs Pakistan U-19 match on December 14. With the bat, he scored 46 runs and took 3 important wickets to defend a total of 240. For this all-round performance, the Rajasthan-born got the man of the match award. 

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Watch some glimpses of Kanishk Chouhan's batting in Asia Cup U-19

RCB’s New Recruit Kanishk Chouhan in ongoing U19 Asia Cuppic.twitter.com/4YIeObWp9R

— Fearless🦁 (@ViratTheLegend) December 18, 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retained players and new players for the IPL 2026 season: For only INR 30 lakhs, the defending champion secured his sign. He is currently a second-year BA student at Shah Satnam Ji Boys College, Sirsa, and has been playing for the Shah Satnam Cricket Academy, Sirsa, for the past 10 years. His father, Pradeep Kumar, is a farmer, and his mother is a homemaker. He is the only son in his family. 

RCB full squad 

Retained players:

Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, and Suyash Sharma.

Players from the IPL 2026 auction:

Venkatesh Iyer (7 cr), Mangesh Yadav (5.2 cr), Jacob Duffy (2 cr), Satwik Deswal (30 L), Jordan Cox (75 L), Vihaan Malhotra (30 L), Kanishk Chouhan (30 L), Vicky Ostwal (30 L)

The defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) heading into the 2026 season of the competition, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, entered the auction in Abu Dhabi with only a few expected changes to make. They nearly had a settled eleven from top to bottom, which could again do the job for them if things fall in place.

Last year, Bengaluru got their players in form and in brutal power at the top in the batting department, while their pacers and spinners did the job of picking wickets equally well whenever required. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt’s opening partnership was excellent at the top, while one of the biggest reasons for their success was Josh Hazlewood.

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Hazlewood’s powerplay bowling, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and then returning with some smart bowling in the death overs, didn’t allow the opponents to run away with the game. The only issue for them was the number three batter, Devdutt Padikkal, who was a bit injury-prone and missed the crucial playoff contests.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

During the previous auction of the IPL 2025, Bengaluru went as high as INR 23.50 crore for Venkatesh Iyer before losing the battle to the Kolkata Knight Riders. This year, they faced the same challenge again and were finally successful in signing the all-rounder for a third of the price in INR 7 crore.

RCB full squad for IPL 2026:

Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Satwik Deswal, Kanish Chouhan, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Mangesh Yadav, Yash Dayal, Jacob Duffy, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma.

Venkatesh’s presence will be crucial in the playing eleven for the Bengaluru side as the southpaw can showcase his skills against the spinners at number three, which will also allow his state team’s captain, Rajat Patidar, play more freely against those sorts of bowlers.

Beyond that, Bengaluru went ahead with New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy, who came in as a cover for Josh Hazlewood, whose recent list of injuries has been a concern for the franchise. He missed the entire Ashes 2025/26 after some impressive performances at the start of the summer against India. He is expected to be present for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

Mangesh Yadav is their left-arm pacer who can bowl 140+ and be the best replacement of Yash Dayal, who hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final.

Bengaluru won’t make many changes in their playing eleven, with Kohli and Phil Salt expected to open the batting, followed by Venkatesh at number three. Patidar will walk at number four with the wicket-keeper batter, Jitesh Sharma, being the number five of the line-up. Tim David will be their number six, along with West Indies’ Romario Shepherd at number seven.

Krunal Pandya was superb with the ball in any phase of the IPL 2025 for RCB and will retain his number eight spot as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood are the two other pacers with Suyash Sharma as the number 11. Yash Dayal can end up being the impact player of the team.

Bengaluru’s future of playing at home- M. Chinnaswamy Stadium- isn’t guaranteed yet. Even though it’s a blow for the fan support, in terms of conditions, it can be a blessing in disguise for the side.

RCB’s strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk.), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.

Impact player- Yash Dayal/Mangesh Yadav.

Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani has revealed why the team briefly raised its paddle for Cameron Green during the IPL 2026 auction — even though they knew they could not afford him.

Green eventually became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, with Kolkata Knight Riders buying the Australian all-rounder for ₹25.20 crore, the third-highest bid ever in the league.

The auction turned into a big battle. Rajasthan Royals dropped out around ₹13 crore. Then Chennai Super Kings pushed the price past ₹20 crore, bidding up to ₹25 crore. Finally, KKR won with the last bid of ₹25.20 crore.

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Mumbai Indians bidding for Cameron Green till 2.40cr with 2.75cr purse. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/dC5S3vcact

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 16, 2025

Mumbai Indians’ Symbolic Bid for Cameron Green

Mumbai Indians briefly entered the bidding for Cameron Green, even though they knew they could not afford him.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, MI owner Akash Ambani said the move was symbolic.

“A little bit of homage to him," he said. “His first IPL team was the Mumbai Indians. We knew he was out of our purse this auction, but just to tell him that we value him, he’ll still be in our thoughts. And whenever Cam Green is in the auction, our paddle will go up for him."

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Green’s IPL Journey and MI’s Auction Strategy

Green started his IPL journey with MI and later played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he scored 707 runs in 29 matches at an average of 41.58 and a strike rate over 153, including a century and two fifties. He also took 16 wickets. Injury kept him out of last season’s auction.

Ambani expressed satisfaction with MI’s overall auction strategy, even though they had their lowest purse in 19 years.

“Very satisfied with the team we have," he said. “It was a different challenge — I don’t think we’ve had this kind of auction in 19 years. But it shows how balanced we were. We only needed to fill a couple of gaps."

After five underwhelming seasons, Ambani sounded hopeful.

“Hopefully, this is the year. We believe it’s a complete and competitive squad."