Cricket expert and former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra has attracted everyone’s attention by announcing its best 12th Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Season. In a campaign that saw extraordinary individual talent, breaking of historic milestones and dramatic changes in the team, Chopra’s selection sparked intense debate on social media. The most notable omission from their star-studded lineup is Gujarat Titans‘Captain Shubman GillJoe missed out despite finishing as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer. Instead, Chopra handed over leadership responsibilities Rajat Patidar After their historic championship run Royal Challengers Bangalore.
A Blockbuster Top Order ft. Vaibhav Suryavanshi & Virat Kohli
Chopra’s opening composition blends the explosive innocence of youth with a foundation of mythological continuity. He chose the 15 year old batting sensation Vaibhav SuryavanshiWho completely revolutionized the opening standards in T20 this year. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, Suryavanshi captured the Orange Cap after scoring 776 runs with the help of a record 72 sixes in 16 innings at an astronomical strike rate of 237.31.
It has always been reliable to partner with young talented people at the top Virat Kohli. It was a stellar season for the RCB icon as he led his team to the title with 675 runs in 16 innings at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.84, which also included a brilliant unbeaten century.
iskan kishan After an explosive campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he moved to the third position after scoring 602 runs in 15 innings at an impressive strike rate of 182.42.
Rajat Patidar will lead the special team
The middle order has devastating finishing abilities, led by tournament captain Patidar. He not only led RCB to consecutive titles; He personally directed the matches from the middle overs. He scored 501 runs at a tremendous strike rate of 192.69 and crossed the boundary 42 times.
The South African powerhouse behind the captain heinrich classenWhich continued his typical spin-destruction template. Klaasen finished the season with 624 runs in 15 matches at an average of 160.00 and crossing the historic milestone of 100 IPL sixes.
Nitish Kumar Reddy slot in the next, effectively strengthening the lower-middle order for Hyderabad with strong local returns, to be complemented Krunal PandyaWho proved to be of great utility for RCB by playing a vital restrictive role during the championship final against Gujarat.
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A multifaceted spin and fast bowling combination
Kolkata Knight Riders legend Sunil Narine The spin department quarterbacks. Narine made history by becoming the first overseas bowler to cross the 200-wicket mark during the tournament, finishing his season with 15 wickets in 13 matches at an unprecedented economy rate of 6.65.
The fast bowling line-up is led by an experienced Bhuvneshwar KumarWho enjoyed a massive renaissance under Patidar’s captaincy, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker of the season with 28 wickets in 16 matches at an extraordinary average of 17.89.
Chopra completes his lethal pace battery at express pace Kagiso RabadaWho won the Purple Cap for Gujarat Titans by taking 29 wickets, and is the pace anchor of Rajasthan jofra archerWho took 25 wickets in 16 matches. Uncapped Jammu and Kashmir Speedster Rasikh Salaam Dar The final completes the lineup as the X-factor, taking 19 wickets in just 12 matches and turning the final on its head with a brilliant spell of 3 for 27.
Aakash Chopra’s Best XI of IPL 2026: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar (captain), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Krunal Pandya, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kagiso Rabada, Jofra Archer, Rasikh Salam Dar.
Also read: Top 5 bowlers who hit most sixes in an IPL season. Kagiso Rabada