Several former England cricketers have made their predictions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28 in Bengaluru. Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell, Sir Alastair Cook and David Lloyd recently shared their favorite titles for this marquee tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has released the schedule of the first phase of IPL. Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening match of the season at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. There are just a few days left for the tournament to start and fans are excited.
Mumbai Indians will host KKR on the second day after CSK begin their campaign on Monday.
On Day 2 of IPL 2026, only one match is scheduled as Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams would like to make a strong start to the season with a strong contest.
Chennai Super Kings will begin their campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday. Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja are set to face their former team, which will add extra intrigue to an already exciting opening encounter.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) will start their season against Gujarat Titans (GT) at home, while Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will host Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final match of the preliminary round. The first phase also includes key fixtures, including RCB vs CSK and MI vs RCB.
Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell and David Lloyd pick their IPL 2026 title favorites
Speaking on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel, Michael Vaughan backed Mumbai Indians to win the IPL 2026 title. Vaughan praised the strength of the team led by Hardik Pandya.
“I’ll be the first name out there. Mumbai Indians are going to win it this year. I’m going for them, they have an incredible team,” Vaughan said.
Meanwhile, Sir Alastair Cook predicted that Royal Challengers Bangalore will defend their title under the leadership of Andy Flower. Cook backed RCB to make a consistent comeback this season.
“I’m going RCB again, they’re going back-to-back. I’m counting on Flower’s army here,” Cook said.
However, Phil Tufnell did not agree with this and chose Chennai Super Kings as his favourite. David Lloyd also backed CSK, supporting Tufnell’s prediction. “Chennai for me, sorry Sir Alastair,” said Tufnell, while Lloyd said, “Super Kings.”
CSK, RCB and MI have emerged as strong title contenders ahead of IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings remains a strong contender for the title every season due to its experience and composure under pressure. Their squad now includes wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, while the franchise continues to add experienced international players along with talented Indian youngsters to maintain continuity.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are also looking like a serious threat in the season. After winning the title last season, they have further strengthened their squad by adding players including Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav and Jacob Duffy in the auction.
Mumbai Indians always demand respect in any title discussion due to their strong history in the tournament. With a core group of experienced players and a winning culture, Mumbai Indians remain a dangerous team capable of challenging any team this season.
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