IPL 2026 has been epic yet controversial. Epic in the sense of teams breaking previous records and controversial for what went down regarding Riyan Parag, Yuzvendra Chahal and other players that forced BCCI to share new directives. In the meantime, here are the five biggest talking points.
T20 World Cup 2026 fatigue - Several of India's T20 World Cup stars have struggled to live up to expectations in the ongoing IPL 2026. The top of the list is Suryakumar Yadav. His form is under extreme scrutiny and is now being considered to be out of India's T20I squad. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya have struggled as well.
2/5Image Source : BCCI
The revival of Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in fine form lately, claiming 21 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 7.46. He is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. Based on his performance, several experts have asked the team management to consider him again for international duty. Notably, he played his last international game in 2022.
3/5Image Source : BCCI
KL Rahul's improved strike rate - Delhi Capitals batter KL Rahul was subjected to immense criticism for his poor strike rate in the shortest format of the game. In IPL 2026, he improved significantly, striking at 177.98. This season, he also became the first Indian and third overall to smash 150 or more runs in an innings in the IPL. Currently, Rahul is also the second-leading run-scorer of the season, having amassed 477 runs.
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4/5Image Source : BCCI
Passing of the torch - The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other old horses are still a force to reckon with, but there is a slow transition as well. Rajasthan Royals' 15-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is slowly leading the way, as there are enough eyeballs on him at the moment. There's an increase in viewership when he bats, which is a major sign that the torch is being passed. The growth of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek Singh only proves the point.
5/5Image Source : BCCI
The controversies - Unlike other years, IPL 2026 is filled with controversies. Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was spotted vaping in the dressing room, while Punjab Kings spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was seen doing the same in a flight. There has been negligence in the code of conduct as well, as BCCI was forced to share new directives with all 10 franchises, it's players and owners.
