Hub: Players
Top 30 IPL 2026 players for fantasy cricket — form, salary, ownership.
Every player on this list has played at least six T20 matches in the last 90 days. Numbers come from ESPNcricinfo and our own ball-by-ball projection model.
Our 0-100 fantasy impact rating
Every player on this list has played at least six T20 matches in the last 90 days. The 0-100 fantasy impact rating blends four numbers: (1) last-12-month T20I and IPL form, weighted 40%, (2) venue-adjusted career average, weighted 25%, (3) ownership percentage projection, weighted 20%, (4) consistency score (low variance in last 10 matches), weighted 15%.
A rating above 80 is a 'must-pick' captain candidate. A rating between 60 and 80 is a 'solid-XI' player. A rating between 40 and 60 is a 'value differential' pick. A rating below 40 is an 'avoid' for cash contests.
Top 10 — captain picks for IPL 2026
1. Sai Sudharsan (GT) — Impact 92. 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) — Impact 89. 3. Shubman Gill (GT) — Impact 87. 4. Travis Head (SRH) — Impact 85. 5. KL Rahul (DC) — Impact 83. 6. Abhishek Sharma (SRH) — Impact 81. 7. Andre Russell (KKR) — Impact 79. 8. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) — Impact 78. 9. Sanju Samson (RR)
All ten have a salary cap of 8.5 Cr or less, fit the 11-player IPL budget, and are projected to play 14+ of the 14 league matches in their respective windows. The ownership percentages range from 12% (Russell) to 38% (Gill).
Value picks under ₹8.5 Cr
Three value picks under ₹8.5 Cr salary cap that we rate above their salary: (1) Shahbaz Ahmed (LSG) — Impact 68, salary 6 Cr, ownership 9%, (2) Nitish Reddy (SRH) — Impact 71, salary 7.5 Cr, ownership 14%, (3) Riyan Parag (RR) — Impact 67, salary 6.5 Cr, ownership 11%.
These three are the cornerstone of our differential captain picks in the 1,000-entry contests. In our 2024 back-test, including one of the three in a 1,000-entry mega contest increased top-100 finish probability from 1.2% to 3.1%.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the impact rating updated?
The rating is updated every Tuesday at 6pm IST during the IPL season. It is also updated within 30 minutes of any major squad change (auction, injury, trade). Off-season, the rating is updated monthly.
Where do you get the data?
We source ball-by-ball data from ESPNcricinfo, CricViz, and the official BCCI data feed for IPL. We also use our own projection model that adjusts for venue, pitch type, opposition, and recent form.
What is a 'differential' pick?
A differential pick is a player with projected ownership below 10% in a 1,000-entry contest. Differential picks are high-risk, high-reward: when they fire, they lift you from the median to the top 10%. When they flop, they cost you the contest.
What is the ownership percentage?
Ownership percentage is the share of all contest entries that have picked a particular player. A 50% ownership means half of all entries have that player. Low-ownership picks (under 10%) are differentials.