table of contents
Former Chennai Super Kings batsman Subramaniam Badrinath recently named his IPL 2026 Team of the Tournament at the end of the league stage.
Badrinath named the playing XII on his YouTube channel, as he named a main XI and an impact player.
The league stage of the tournament ended on Sunday, and the playoffs will begin when Royal Challengers Bangalore (first on the points table) take on Gujarat Titans (second) for Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala on Tuesday.
Badrinath’s team includes representatives from 7 out of the 10 teams playing in the tournament. RCB and GT have the highest number of players with 3 players each.
Subramaniam Badrinath’s IPL 2026 tournament team
1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR)
15 year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi was in the news in this tournament. After making a splash last year, Suryavanshi has become one of the best batsmen in the entire league.
In 14 matches, he has scored 583 runs at an average of 41.6 and a ridiculous strike rate of 232. He also has 3 fifties and one century to his name in this year’s tournament. “Boss Baby” Vaibhav has also hit 53 sixes in the tournament, the second most in a single season in IPL history.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is currently at number 5 in the Orange Cap list.
2. Shubman Gill (GT)
Badrinath chose Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill to partner Suryavanshi at the top.
Gill has been performing consistently in the tournament and has been instrumental in helping GT finish second in the IPL 2026 points table. Gill has played just 13 matches this year but has already scored 616 runs and is second in the Orange Cap table.
Gill has scored six fifties this year and averages 47 while striking at 162.
3. Sai Sudarshan (GT)
Although Gill and Sudarshan are GT’s opening pair in IPL 2026, Badrinath decided to keep current Orange Cap holder Sai Sudarshan at No. 3.
In this year’s tournament, Sudarshan has 638 runs in his name with 7 half-centuries and one century. His average is 49 while striking is 158. He and Gill have also formed one of the strongest opening pairs in the IPL in the last few years.
4. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) (Wicketkeeper)
Although he has not kept wicket for Sunrisers Hyderabad this year, Badrinath chose Heinrich Klaasen as his wicketkeeper.
Klaasen has been the most consistent middle-order batsman in IPL 2026, even if he has not been as explosive as before. Despite batting at number 4 for most of the tournament, Klaasen has scored 606 runs in 14 matches at an average of over 50.
He has scored 6 half-centuries this season with an overall strike rate of 159.
5. Rajat Patidar (RCB) (C)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished the league stage of IPL 2026 at the first position in the points table. Naturally, Badrinath chose his captain Rajat Patidar as the captain of this team as well.
As far as his batting is concerned, he has scored 393 runs in 13 matches at an average of 36 and strike rate of 184. He also has 4 half-centuries in his name this season.
6. Krunal Pandya (RCB)
RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya came at sixth place. Pandya has been one of those rare all-rounders who has performed well in two roles even during the impact player era.
Playing mostly as a floater for RCB, Pandya Sr. has scored 182 runs in 14 matches at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 146. He also has a half-century to his name in this year’s IPL.
With the ball, Krunal has taken 11 wickets at an economy rate of less than 9 runs per over.
7. Sunil Narine (KKR)
After this, Badrinath chose the always reliable Sunil Narine as the second spinner of this team. Although Narine’s impact with the bat is no longer the same as before, he remains a constant threat with the ball in IPL 2026.
Sunil Narayan did wonders with the ball and ended the season with 15 wickets in 13 matches at a bowling average of 22.60 and an economy rate of just 6.64.
8. Bhuvenshwar Kumar (RCB)
‘Bhuvi’ has been the best bowler of IPL 2026 and has taken the joint most wickets at the end of the league stage.
Bhuveshwar has held the Purple Cap for the longest time in this tournament with 24 wickets in 14 matches. He also took four wickets once this year.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling average in IPL 2026 is 18.5 runs per wicket and economy rate is more than 8 runs per over.
9. Jofra Archer (RR)
After battling injuries for several years, Jofra Archer is back to his best in IPL 2026. Currently, he is the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, and his team’s highest wicket-taker.
His 21 wickets in 14 matches have cost him only 21.71 runs per wicket and a respectable economy rate of 8.76. He also showed a glimpse of his all-round abilities in RR’s last league stage match.
10. Kagiso Rabada (GT)
Rabada is the joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026 along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, the purple cap is currently held by Bhubaneswar due to better economy rates.
Rabada was the main bowler leading Gujarat’s pace battery, which has defeated opponents one after another, especially in Ahmedabad. Rabada has taken 24 wickets at an average of 20.54 and economy of 9 runs per over.
11. Prince Yadav (LSG) / Kartik Tyagi (KKR)
Badrinath said in his video that he is happy with any of these bowlers in the playing eleven. Both the uncapped Indian fast bowlers have impressed with their skills in IPL 2026.
Both played 14-14 matches in this tournament. Tyagi took 18 wickets at an average of 27.67 and an economy of 9.76 runs per over.
Prince Yadav took 16 wickets at an average of 28.68 and economy of 8.82 runs per over.
Impressive Player: Akeal Hosein (CSK)
Although IPL rules prevent a foreign player from being an impact sub if four foreign players are already in the playing eleven, Badrinath ignored this rule.
Hosein was one of the only bright spots in CSK’s up-and-down IPL 2026 season. Hosen was used sparingly, and only as an impact player on pitches aided by spin.
Hosein took 8 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 25 and an economy of 8 runs per over.
Also Read: “The motive was just fun” – Shreyas Iyer’s sister breaks silence on online abuse after PBKS exit from IPL
