Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a few weeks away. All 10 teams have almost geared up for this mega event that will last for almost two months. The IPL is set to begin on March 28 as defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first game of the tournament.
Due to the assembly elections in India, the IPL and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the schedule for the first 20 games of the competition. Over the years, the competition has produced some great talents for the India national cricket team; Similarly, this year also some cricketers are ready to leave their mark.
The 2025 auction saw some big bids on uncapped Indian players like Karthik Sharma and Prashant Veer. Now this season, from foreign cricketers to Indian youth, some cricketers will be under watch. Below, we have listed the top three underrated players who can surprise everyone with their breathtaking performances this season.
3 underrated players can surprise everyone this IPL season
Urvil Patel: Chennai Super Kings
Urvil Patel surprised everyone with his amazing hitting quality in the last edition of the league. It did not sell during the auction; However, he came into the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team as a replacement for Vansh Bedi. The batsman made his debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and played a quickfire inning of 31 runs in 11 balls.
Urvil Patel has played only three matches for CSK, in which he has scored 68 runs at an average of 22.67. The strike rate has been amazing to watch, as the wicketkeeper batsman has a strike rate of 212.50. He has been seen hitting the nets in Chennai and has been hitting the ball out of the ground. He could be one of the most underrated players to keep an eye on.
Pathum Nissanka: Delhi Capitals
Pathum Nissanka has been one of the batsmen who has been in great form during the T20 World Cup 2026. The Sri Lankan opener was the leading run-scorer for the team, scoring 211 runs in seven innings, scoring a century against Australia in the group stage. The aggressive opener also scored a half-century.
Pathum Nissanka was picked up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 4 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction. He was brought in to strengthen the team’s top-order batting. He is likely to make his IPL debut during the 2026 season and could be one of the most underrated players in the IPL.
Blessing Muzarabani: Kolkata Knight Riders
Blessing Muzarabani’s performance during the T20 World Cup 2026 was excellent. He finished in the top 5 in the list of leading wicket-takers in major tournaments. He took 13 wickets in the tournament and helped Zimbabwe qualify for the Super 8 stages. He was excellent in Sri Lanka. The fast bowler has withdrawn from Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to IPL.
This lanky fast bowler has joined KKR for the upcoming season of the tournament. He joined as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who was dropped due to rising tensions between India and Bangladesh. With a height of around 7 feet, Muzarabani will generate extra bounce and pace off the Eden Gardens wickets and could also be crucial for KKR.
Also Read: KKR CEO Venky Mysore reveals real reasons for not having teams in The Hundred and SA20
