The IPL 2026 mini-auction delivered plenty of drama and record-breaking bids, reshaping the squads of all 10 franchises. Let’s break down the strongest XIs for each team, along with their likely Impact Player choices, after the dust settled in Abu Dhabi.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Strongest XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar ©, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

Impact Player: Suyash Sharma

RCB made a smart move by bringing in Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore, giving them a powerful left-handed option at No. 3. The addition of Jacob Duffy (₹5 crore) from New Zealand strengthens their pace attack alongside Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar. With Salt and Kohli opening, RCB have batting depth and flexibility, though spin remains an area where they might rely on the Impact Player rule.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Strongest XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad ©, Sanju Samson (wk), Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk), Jamie Overton, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad

Impact Player: Ayush Mhatre

CSK stole the show by paying ₹14.20 crore each for uncapped Indians Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, breaking all records for uncapped players. They also added Rahul Chahar (₹6.75 crore) to strengthen their spin options. With Samson traded in and MS Dhoni still around, CSK have wicketkeeping depth and a strong middle order. Their XI looks balanced with multiple spin and pace options.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Strongest XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Hardik Pandya ©, Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghazanfar

Impact Player: Mayank Markande

MI entered with just ₹2.75 crore but managed to strengthen strategically, adding backup options without breaking the bank. Their core remains unchanged with Rohit, SKY, Tilak, Hardik, Bumrah, and Boult. Will Jacks adds batting depth and part-time spin, while Allah Ghazanfar provides a mystery spin option. This XI has champion written all over it.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Strongest XI: Cameron Green, Finn Allen (wk), Ajinkya Rahane ©, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora

Impact Player: Manish Pandey

KKR went all-in, splashing ₹27.50 crore on Cameron Green to make him the most expensive overseas player ever. They also bought Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore), Finn Allen (₹8.50 crore), and Mustafizur Rahman (₹9 crore). Green opens the batting and gives them a pace option, while Pathirana adds express pace at the death. This is a complete XI with depth in every department.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Strongest XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins ©, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, Zeeshan Ansari

Impact Player: Salil Arora

SRH added Liam Livingstone (₹8.75 crore) and Shivam Mavi (₹6 crore) to bolster their middle order and pace attack. Livingstone slots in perfectly at No. 5, offering power-hitting and spin options. With Head, Abhishek, Klaasen, and Livingstone, SRH have one of the most destructive top and middle orders in the tournament. Their bowling still leans on Cummins and Harshal to deliver.

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Strongest XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer ©, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Cooper Connolly, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson

Impact Player: Harpreet Brar

PBKS brought in Cooper Connolly (₹3 crore) as a young left-handed batting and spin option. With Shreyas Iyer leading, they have a solid top order, while Stoinis and Jansen provide all-round balance. Arshdeep, Chahal, and Ferguson give them wicket-taking options, though the middle order still looks a bit light on proven big-hitters.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Strongest XI: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C & wk), Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan

Impact Player: M Siddharth

LSG made a splash by buying Wanindu Hasaranga (₹9 crore) to fill their spin all-rounder gap. With Pant leading, they have a star-studded top and middle order. Marsh, Markram, Pooran, and Pant can all take the game away in quick time. The pace attack of Shami, Mayank, Avesh, and Mohsin looks sharp, and Hasaranga adds quality spin.

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Strongest XI: KL Rahul (wk), Ben Duckett, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel ©, David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi Dar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan

Impact Player: Karun Nair

DC brought in Ben Duckett (₹3.50 crore) and David Miller (₹7.50 crore), giving them overseas firepower at the top and in the middle order. KL Rahul keeps and opens, while Miller provides the finishing punch. Axar leads the side, and with Starc, Natarajan, and Kuldeep in the attack, DC have quality bowling resources.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Strongest XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Bishnoi, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma

Impact Player: Vignesh Puthur

RR acquired Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 crore) and Sam Curran (₹11.50 crore) in trades, then added Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 crore) at the auction to strengthen their spin attack. This XI has balance, with Jaiswal and Suryavanshi opening, Parag and Hetmyer in the middle, and a strong spin trio of Jadeja, Bishnoi, and Curran. Archer leads the pace attack.

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Strongest XI: Shubman Gill ©, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Banton, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Jason Holder, Prasidh Krishna

Impact Player: Sai Kishore

GT added Tom Banton (₹3.60 crore) and Jason Holder (₹8 crore) to bolster their overseas options. Buttler behind the stumps gives them experience, while Banton offers explosive middle-order hitting. Rashid and Sundar handle spin, and Siraj, Holder, and Prasidh form a strong pace unit. This XI has balance but might lack a big power-hitter in the middle order.