2026 Indian Premier League predictions, team profiles, betting tips and odds

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

2026 IPL date, start time & TV info 

Date Saturday, March 28 to Sunday, May 31
Venue India
Competition Indian Premier League
TV Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.

2026 IPL betting tips & predictions

Best bets

Punjab Kings
2pts 8-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Rajasthan Royals to finish in the top four
3pts 23-10 Paddy Power

Finn Allen to be top tournament runscorer
1pt each-way 22-1 bet365

Ishan Kishan to be top tournament runscorer
1pt each-way 20-1 bet365

Lungi Ngidi to be top Delhi Capitals tournament wicket-taker
3pts 8-1 bet365

2026 IPL preview 

India demolished New Zealand in this month's T20 World Cup final so a billion cricket fans are eagerly anticipating this season's Indian Premier League.

The 19th staging of the lucrative Twenty20 franchise competition starts on Saturday when holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad.

RCB claimed their maiden title last season, ending an agonising 17-year wait for India icon Virat Kohli.

They are second-favourites to retain their crown, behind a Mumbai Indians side featuring T20 World Cup winners Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

But last term's runners-up Punjab Kings look a tasty price to go one better in 2026.

The Kings finished top of the league table in 2025, powered by brilliant uncapped openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. 

They came up just short in the final, losing to RCB by six runs despite Shashank Singh's unbeaten 61 off 30 balls.

South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen is a matchwinner with bat and ball and Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in the 2024 IPL. 

Royals ready to exceed expectations

Rajasthan Royals are outsiders of the ten teams in this season's IPL and influential England all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out due to a groin injury.

The Royals have brought in Sri Lanka's T20 captain Dasun Shanaka as a replacement and they could exceed expectations by making the playoffs.

Jofra Archer should pose a huge threat in the Powerplay overs and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has arrived as part of the deal that took Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings.

Samson's departure is a blow to Rajasthan but they still have top-class Indian batters in skipper Riyan Parag, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

West Indies middle-order man Shimron Hetmyer and spinner Ravi Bishnoi could also help the Royals improve significantly on last season's ninth-placed finish.   

Eden Gardens is a batting paradise for Allen

Finn Allen was part of the New Zealand team who were thrashed by India in the T20 World Cup final but he will have fond memories of the tournament nonetheless.

Allen cracked a stunning 100 not out off 33 balls in the semi-final rout of South Africa at Eden Gardens, where he will be playing for Kolkata in the IPL.

He comes into his first full IPL campaign brimming with confidence after a superb Big Bash season with Perth Scorchers.

The opener thumped 466 runs at a strike-rate of 184 per 100 balls for the Scorchers and his international T20 feats include a knock of 137, featuring 16 sixes, against Pakistan in 2024.

Kishan can kick on after World Cup heroics

It takes a lot to overshadow Sunrisers Hyderabad openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head but teammate Ishan Kishan is worth backing to steal the show this season.

He forced his way into India's top order for the World Cup by smashing 215 runs from 93 balls in January's T20 series against New Zealand.

And Kishan played some vital innings at the tournament, including 77 off 40 deliveries against Pakistan and 54 off 25 in the final against the Black Caps.

The left-hander marked his Sunrisers debut last season with 106 off 47 balls against Rajasthan and passed 400 runs in three of his last five IPL campaigns for Mumbai.

Ngidi should shine in Delhi's bowling attack

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav is a hot favourite to be Delhi Capitals' leading wicket-taker but South Africa international Lungi Ngidi is an eye-catching price in that market.

Australia veteran Mitchell Starc will miss the start of the tournament as he manages his workload so Ngidi should be Delhi's main overseas paceman.

His subtle variations of pace worked brilliantly in Indian conditions during the World Cup as he took 12 wickets in seven games.

Even India's superstars struggled to lay bat on ball against Ngidi, who conceded only 15 runs in four overs in South Africa's Super 8-stage win, and he can enhance his reputation in the IPL. 

2026 IPL team profiles 

Chennai Super Kings

Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad
Coach Stephen Fleming
Key players Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Matt Henry, Noor Ahmad
Last season 10th

Delhi Capitals

Captain Axar Patel
Coach Hemang Badani
Key players KL Rahul, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi
Last season 5th

Gujarat Titans

Captain Shubman Gill
Coach Ashish Nehra
Key players Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Glenn Phillips, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj
Last season 4th (Lost in Eliminator)

Kolkata Knight Riders

Captain Ajinkya Rahane
Coach Abhishek Nayar
Key players Rinku Singh, Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Rachin Ravindra
Last season 8th

Lucknow Super Giants

Captain Rishabh Pant
Coach Justin Langer
Key players Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammed Shami
Last season 7th

Mumbai Indians

Captain Hardik Pandya
Coach Mahela Jayawardene
Key players Suryamkumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Jasprit Bumrah
Last season 3rd (Lost in Qualifier 2)

Punjab Kings

Captain Shreyas Iyer
Coach Ricky Ponting
Key players Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Priyansh Arya
Last season Runners-up (1st in league stage)

Rajasthan Royals

Captain Riyan Parag
Coach Kumar Sangakkara
Key players Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer
Last season 9th

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Captain Rajat Patidar
Coach Andy Flower
Key players Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya
Last season Winners (2nd in league stage)

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Captain Pat Cummins
Coach Daniel Vettori
Key players Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Harshal Patel, Heinrich Klaasen
Last season 6th

2026 IPL betting odds

Sign up with bet365 to bet on the 2026 IPL. Here are the latest odds for the tournament:

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top sports betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.

Read more:

Indian Open: DLF Golf and Country Club course guide, start time, odds and how to watch 

Houston Open: Memorial Park course guide, start time, odds and how to watch 

Arsenal Women vs Chelsea Women predictions, team news, betting tips, odds and Bet Builder 

Tuesday's EFL predictions, betting odds and tips: Latics can extend winning streak 

FAQs for 2026 IPL

When is the 2026 IPL?

The 2026 IPL starts on Saturday, March 28 and the final will take place on Sunday, May 31.

Where is the 2026 IPL being played?

The tournament will be held in various venues around India and the final is at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

How can I watch the 2026 IPL?

Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event offer live coverage of the IPL in the UK.

What is the betting for the 2026 IPL?

Mumbai Indians are 7-2 favourites to win the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru 11-2 and Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings at 15-2.

Click for more free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Important information: This article may contain links to offers or promotions that were available at the time of publication. These offers may have since expired or changed.

Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.