IPL 2026 will kick off on March 28. With some teams facing injuries and last-minute withdrawals, teams have been reshaping their lineups from the start to create the strongest lineup possible.
Overseas players will once again play a vital role in deciding the fate of both sides. Here are the four possible overseas players for each IPL team this season:
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
RCB will rely heavily on Phil Salt to provide an explosive start at the top. The finishing duties are expected to fall to power hitters Romario Shepard and Tim David. With Josh Hazlewood unlikely to feature at the start, Jacob Duffy is expected to step in and bolster the pace attack.
Chennai Super Kings(CSK)
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Last year, CSK’s middle order got a dynamic boost in the mid-game through Dewald Brevis’ aggressive stroke play. This season, he will make an impact from the start, adding strength to the fourth spot. Jamie Overton will provide balance as a seam bowling all-rounder along with the wicket pace of Matt Henry, while the spin responsibility will mainly fall to Noor Ahmed.
Mumbai Indians(MI)
Mumbai Indians look strong with Quinton de Kock expected to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma. Will Jacks will bring the aggression into the middle order as seen in the 2026 T20 World Cup where he won the Man of the Match award four times. Mitchell Santner provides spin control and batting depth, while veteran pacer Trent Boult will be key with the new ball, especially in the powerplay.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR’s bowling will be spearheaded by the sharp pace of Matheesha Pathirana, while the experience of Sunil Narine remains valuable. The addition of Cameron Green provides stability and all-round value, while Finn Allen is likely to inject aggression into the top order, as shown in the semi-final against South Africa, where he scored the fastest hundredth goal of the T20 World Cup.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Last season’s runners-up PBKS will once again rely on the all-round abilities of Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen. Azmatullah Omarzai has further enhanced his balance with bat and ball. In the absence of Rocky Ferguson, young pacer Xavier Bartlett is expected to play a key role in the bowling unit along with Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh.
Delhi Capital (DC)
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Delhi’s batting looks stronger and Pathum Nissanka is likely to open with KL Rahul. The middle order will be powered by the explosive South African duo of David Miller and Tristan Stubbs. After winning the title with RCB last season, Lungi Ngidi has added firepower to the pace attack along with T Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar.
Gujarat Titans(GT)
GT has a balanced overseas core. Jos Buttler shares the top spot with Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill. The addition of Jason Holder provides all-round stability and is likely to replace Glenn Phillips as the seam bowling all-rounder. The bowling attack will revolve around world-class performers Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
LSG’s top order will likely once again consist of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, who offer both aggression and stability. Nicholas Pooran remains the key finisher in the middle-order while Anrich Nortje’s pace adds serious firepower to the bowling attack as Lucknow lacks other overseas fast bowling options.
Rajasthan Royals(RR)
In the absence of Sanju Samson, captain Riyan Parag will rely heavily on Shimron Hetmyer to get the job done while Jofra Archer will be responsible for the pace attack. Donovan Ferreira is a tough all-rounder with a lot of versatility. Between Adam Milne and Nandre Burger, Burger is more likely to play a role in strengthening the fast bowling unit.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
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SRH faced an early challenge with captain Pat Cummins unavailable for the initial matches and Ishan Kishan taking over as captain. Travis Head and Heinrich Klassen will play vital roles in the batting line-up, while Liam Livingstone adds batting depth and spin. With Pat Cummins and Eshant Malinga unlikely to feature in the openers, Brendan Kass is expected to fill the void in the bowling department.
