Sports / Sun, 24 May 2026 News18

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Opener, Klaasen At 4, No Virat Kohli! Best League Stage Playing XI Of IPL 2026

Last Updated: May 25, 2026, 01:55 IST1 / 11 Sai Sudharsan is leading the Orange Cap race (638 runs) in IPL 2026. He hammered one century and seven fifties in 14 league matches of this year’s IPL for the Gujarat Titans. (Picture Credit: Creimas)2 / 11 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is RR’s highest run-getter in IPL 2026. 3 for SRH in all 14 league matches and with the help of six fifties scored 569 runs. (Picture Credit: Creimas)4 / 11 Heinrich Klaasen is SRH’s highest and, overall, third-highest run-getter (606 runs) in IPL 2026.

Last Updated: May 25, 2026, 01:55 IST

1 / 11 Sai Sudharsan is leading the Orange Cap race (638 runs) in IPL 2026. He hammered one century and seven fifties in 14 league matches of this year’s IPL for the Gujarat Titans. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

2 / 11 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is RR’s highest run-getter in IPL 2026. He played all 14 league matches and scored 583 runs with a strike rate of 232.27. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

3 / 11 Ishan Kishan batted at No. 3 for SRH in all 14 league matches and with the help of six fifties scored 569 runs. He also led them in the absence of Pat Cummins and played a big role in helping them qualify for the playoffs. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

4 / 11 Heinrich Klaasen is SRH’s highest and, overall, third-highest run-getter (606 runs) in IPL 2026. He is the first batter in the world to score 600 runs in a T20 series as a No. 4 or lower batter. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

5 / 11 Krunal Pandya bagged the POTM award in the final of IPL 2025, and in the ongoing season as well, he has impressed with his batting, bowling, and fielding. He single-handedly won the match with his batting against MI and finished the league stage with 11 wickets. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

6 / 11 Jason Holder warmed the bench initially for GT, but after his inclusion in the XI, he played a big role in GT’s success. In eight league matches he accounted for the dismissal of 13 batters and played one good knock with the bat as well. (Picture Credit: AP)

7 / 11 Jofra Archer is RR’s highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026. He has accounted for the dismissal of 21 batters so far in 14 matches and, in their last league match against MI, also played a match-defining knock of 32 runs from 15 balls (1 four, 3 sixes). (Picture Credit: AP)

8 / 11 Bhuveshwar Kumar is leading the Purple Cap race in IPL 2026. In 14 matches, he has dismissed 24 batters so far and only conceded runs at an economy of 8.07. He is the major reason why RCB topped the points table. (Picture Credit: AP)

9 / 11 Kagiso Rabada also has picked up 24 wickets in IPL 2026, but due to a slightly higher economy rate, he is second in the Purple Cap race. Like Bhuvneshwar, Rabada has picked more than 10 wickets in the powerplay itself this season. (Picture Credit: Creimas)

10 / 11 Eshan Malinga is SRH’s highest wicket-taker (19) in IPL 2026. In Cummins' absence, he led SRH’s pace attack and won multiple matches with his impressive bowling. (Picture Credit: Creimas)