Another new year and another year of exciting cricket action awaits us in 2026. This year is predicted to be an eventful year, as it includes the ICC T20 World Cup, with India playing without its legends for the first time, RCB entering the IPL as defending champions, and Indian greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fighting to keep their places till the 2027 World Cup.
This year is expected to be a year of intense competition between the teams, as many of the weaker players will try to dominate the giants of the game in the T20 World Cup. Indian cricket could witness one of its most important years yet, as there is also speculation about introducing split coaching for Test cricket.
Here are some of the wildest predictions made about cricket for the year 2026; However, they are not based on any reports and are mere speculations and assumptions based on personal perceptions.
5. Jasprit Bumrah to announce T20I retirement
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is one of the most respected fast bowlers in the world and the most feared when it comes to the crucial juncture of the game. Bumrah was India’s main player during the last T20 World Cup, where he took the second highest number of wickets for India and was also named the player of the tournament. He recently became the first Indian bowler to take 100+ wickets in all three formats of the game.
Bumrah is a very important player for India in the shortest format and will be a vital asset in their title defense in 2026. However, he may announce his retirement after the T20 World Cup in India. The decision is motivated by the fact that Bumrah often has to manage his workload, and he will be crucial to India’s future campaigns in Test and ODI cricket.
4. RCB will win IPL 2026
Royal Challengers Bangalore finally broke the shackles and won their first IPL title in 2025. The win brought tears to the eyes of millions of RCB fans and loyal players like Virat Kohli. However, perhaps this is the time when RCB would like to keep the trophy in their name for a while longer.
Come IPL 2026, RCB will have the same dominant team with Virat Kohli. They have made some more good investments which will set their campaign further on track in the tournament. Hence, RCB can also be groomed to win the upcoming editions of IPL.
3. Rishabh Pant will lose importance
Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has represented India in all formats of the game. However, his performances in international cricket have diminished due to injuries, and the veteran batsman’s lack of form has reduced his importance in all formats.
Pant has already been ruled out of the T20I format, as he has not even been named in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad. On the other hand, Pant’s place in ODIs is also under threat as the selectors are eyeing Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel for the role.
Due to this, Pant will not get a chance to play only in the red ball format for India. However, Pant’s careless attitude and lack of composure when the team needs their experienced batsman is glaring in the eyes of the selectors and Dhruv Jurel is emerging as a more balanced option in the middle order who can be trusted in such situations.
If Pant fails to retain his place in Tests with several stellar performances, he may lose his importance in the coming year. Furthermore, Pant’s performance will also be in focus as he will be playing for LSG in his second season with the franchise in the IPL.
2. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma will retire from international cricket
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two legendary Indian cricketers who have been the backbone of the Indian batting order for the last 15 years, have been consistently sidelined in recent years. During Gambhir’s era, two legends suddenly announced their retirement from Test cricket.
The BCCI has been very disrespectful towards both these legends, as they have been forced to perform domestically in order to play in international cricket. Both players have forced the BCCI to keep their 2027 hopes alive.
However, despite the stellar form, Gautam Gambhir or the Indian selectors have refused to make any statement on the participation of both the legends in the World Cup. Therefore, the possibility of his retirement keeps the veterans worried.
1. Sourav Ganguly will join the Indian team; Gautam Gambhir’s monopoly in danger!
India is citing divisions in the coaching modules for the upcoming year. Gautam Gambhir is likely to remain India’s white-ball coach till the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is likely to join the Indian team as a red-ball consultant or red-ball coach in place of Gambhir.
On the other hand, Ganguly can also join the Indian dressing room as the Director of Cricket. So, this will definitely impact Gautam Gambhir’s dominance over the decisions surrounding the Indian team. It is also worth noting that Gambhir made his debut for India when Ganguly was the captain of the team.
Also read: James Neesham accuses India of rigging ICC tournaments
