6 lesser-known players to watch out for in IPL 2026 

The IPL has a knack for unearthing unknown gems every season. Cast your mind to any given year, and chances are you will remember a lesser-known name exploding onto the scene. Be it Mayank Yadav from a few years back, Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi last year. Arguably the wildest unveil of them was a certain Jasprit Bumrah, who silenced doubters on his debut for the Mumbai Indians when he took 3/32 in a memorable debut, including the scalp of Virat Kohli. 

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, who might make as big an impact? We put on our thinking caps and guessing glasses (if such a thing exists), and pinpoint 6 players we believe will leave a mark this year. 

Kartik Sharma (Chennai Super Kings) 

When you ask any cricket fan about the Chennai Super Kings (henceforth abbreviated to CSK, since we’re lazy like that), a certain hard-hitting wicketkeeper will always come to mind. Is it any surprise then that CSK went all out when Kartik Sharma’s name last came up in the auction, and broke records to snag him? 

The youngster is on the record as saying he couldn’t stop crying when he learned that CSK would pay such a life-changing sum for his services, but it is Sharma who could very well leave opposing attacks in tears this year. The swashbuckling U-19 keeper-batsman is known as one of the hardest and longest hitters of a cricket ball on the domestic circuit. Sharma hit the most number of sixes for any player in the 2024/25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and ended the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season as the joint third-highest six-hitter. 

He could well slot in at 6 or 7, or even be used as an impact sub by the side as they seek to inject more power-hitting and dynamism into the side, and break away from the mould of previously successful CSK sides. Sharma’s power-hitting will be one to watch out for at IPL 2026. 

Prashant Veer (Chennai Super Kings) 

CSK aren’t known to splash big money on young guns, so when they open their purse twice at the same auction for a pair of greenhorns, one can’t help sit up and take notice.  

And one can understand why the think tank at CSK has bet the proverbial house on Prashant Veer. Left arm spinners are a somewhat rare commodity. A spinner of that mould that can bash a ball lower down the order is even rarer. When you take that into consideration, you can understand why Prashant was such a hot commodity at the auction. Veer showcased his skills in sumptuous fashion, finishing the UPT20 league with 320 runs at a strike rate of 155 and snaring eight wickets for good measure.  

CSK seems to have a thing of looking for like for like, be it for Dhoni or Jadeja. Will that strategy of trying to fill out a certain profile work for the 5-time IPL champions, or will the hefty price tags weigh down the youngsters? Time will tell. 

Allah Ghazanfar (Mumbai Indians) 

What is it with Afghanistan and their seemingly endless conveyor belt of high-quality wrist-spinners? After Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar is the latest one to roll off the factory line. 

Ghazanfar is not a stranger to the IPL. The Kolkata Knight Riders (who love their mystery spinners), had picked him in 2023 before the Mumbai Indians snapped him up in 2025. He was laid low by injury last season, but was no stranger to his teammates even otherwise. India A, a generally dominant team, suffered a humbling defeat in the semi-final of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 at the hands of Afghanistan, who went on to win the tournament. 

Tilak Varma was the skipper of that side, and his team was laid by a super spell from Ghazanfar, who snapped up the wickets of openers Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek to deliver a telling blow to the Indians. The Mumbai Indians will be hoping Ghazanfar operates to similar effect for them, even if it is on a selective basis, with teams so keen to deploy specific players on specific wickets for specific match-ups. Ghazanfar is one that will be very interesting to watch. 

Donovan Ferreira (Rajasthan Royals) 

The Rajasthan Royals might have lost the crown jewel in their lineup when Sanju Samson got traded to the Chennai Super Kings. But in Donovan Ferreira, they are certainly holding an ace up their sleeve. 

Ferreira is no unpolished diamond either. He is a seasoned T20 cricketer known for his fearsome hitting and handy off-spin. How fearsome, you ask? His career T20 record sees him average around 25 runs per knock across the 2500 or so runs he has made, but it is the manner in which he makes it that is telling. He strikes the ball at 167.40, and has slammed 169 sixes across his 119 innings thus far. So while he isn’t a top-order batter like Samson, he is very much in his mould. He’ll provide much-needed muscle for the Royals at the death, with Sam Curran out of the picture for this edition of the IPL. 

Mangesh Yadav (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) 

Don’t we all love an underdog story? Mangesh Yadav is the epitome of that. His father was a truck driver who endured long hours and hardships to give his son a better future. 

That hard work (and no doubt Mangesh’s own) is paying off richly. He won a Rs. 5.2 crore contract from the incumbent champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and seems set to play a key role for them early on in the season, particularly with Hazelwood out with injury and Yash Dayal ruled out due to his ongoing legal issues. 

A skiddy left-arm quick with a surprisingly accurate yorker, Yadav can tonk the ball as well lower down the order. He showed these qualities in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League, emerging as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and then making his mark felt while playing for Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. 

It will be interesting to see how he gets on. We’ll be rooting for him.  

Shivang Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) 

High-quality wrist spinners are a rare bird in Indian cricket. When you factor in that Shivang Kumar has also demonstrated capable batsmanship, he is an extremely rare breed. He caused a ripple in the recent edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, snaffling 10 wickets in 3 matches. 

Shivang is one to seriously keep an eye out for. If his development is handled well, he could be a massive asset even for the Indian team, particularly as the new philosophy of backing bowlers who can bat takes hold. Little is known about him, but it is clear that the Sunrisers are very happy to keep it that way. After all, there isn’t much mystery about a mystery spinner if everyone knows what’s coming their way.