Veteran leg-spinner and IPL legend Amit Mishra has shared his early predictions for the 2026 season, notably leaving the five-time champions out of his prime contenders. Talking on a current episode of MensXP’s YouTube podcast, the previous India worldwide recognized 5 groups he believes will dominate the upcoming season, following a high-stakes mini-auction in Abu Dhabi that noticed a number of franchises overhaul their rosters.
Amit Mishra picks the semifinalists of IPL 2026
Throughout the candid dialogue, Mishra was requested to select the groups most certainly to succeed in the playoffs for the nineteenth version of the league. With out hesitation, he narrowed the sector down to 5 particular franchises, citing their current squad depth and tactical acquisitions. Mishra went with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He additionally added Gujarat Titans (GT) to the checklist.
“KKR, MI, SRH, RCB, and GT. I believe 4 from these 5 will make the playoffs,” Mishra acknowledged through the podcast.
Mishra’s predictions look like influenced by the aggressive recruitment methods seen on the current public sale. KKR secured Australian star Cameron Inexperienced for a document ₹25.20 crore, signaling an enormous shift of their middle-order energy. Equally, RCB introduced in Venkatesh Iyer to bolster their native core. SRH strengthened their squad additional with the addition of Liam Livingstone. MI centered on ‘homecoming’ and stability. They introduced again Quinton de Kock for simply ₹1 crore—an enormous steal—to accomplice Rohit Sharma.
Additionally READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Complete squads of all 10 teams after the bidding event
No place for Chennai Tremendous Kings in Mishra’s prediction
Whereas Mishra didn’t explicitly element why he omitted the five-time champions, his feedback come at a time when CSK have undergone a big ‘youth overhaul.’ Mishra’s snub of CSK doubtless stems from their high-risk technique. Whereas they landed Sanju Samson in a blockbuster commerce, they misplaced cornerstone gamers Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals. CSK spent ₹28.40 crore on simply two uncapped gamers: Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. Analysts argue that by letting Matheesha Pathirana go to KKR, CSK have an enormous void in loss of life bowling that hasn’t been absolutely addressed by new signing Matt Henry.
Additionally READ: Ravichandran Ashwin predicts IPL 2026 semifinalists after mini auction
