We are two weeks away from the IPL 2026 kick off, with a promising season ahead of us. The tournament, which begins on March 28, will be crucial for India players who are striving to earn themselves a spot in the national team.
The Men in Blue created history recently, becoming the only team in the world to win three T20 World Cup titles. India have a great depth in their white-ball stocks, and that meant several quality players were not part of the title-winning squad. The IPL 2026 offers them a great opportunity to force their way into the India T20I side.
The India team management usually puts a lot of weight on IPL performances. Here we take a look at five players who can stake claim in the India T20I side with a blockbuster IPL 2026 campaign.
Shubman Gill was a regular feature in the Indian side in the lead up to the T20 World Cup 2026. But continued poor run meant that he was dropped from the squad. Now to get back into the frame, he needs to deliver a great campaign in IPL 2026.
Gill has been a prolific run-scorer in the league. He has amassed over 1,900 runs in the last three seasons. Last year, the Gujarat Titans captain made 650 runs at an average of 50 while striking at 156. A similar campaign could put him back into contention.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has played 23 T20Is for India, and has one century and five half centuries to his credit. But he has not yet received a good run in a full-strength side as there’s too much competition in the top order.
He will have a senior role in the Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 squad, and a solid season could bring him closer to the national side. Jaiswal made 559 runs in the previous season, averaging 43 at a strike rate of nearly 160.
Riyan Parag has taken over the full-time captaincy reins of Rajasthan Royals after Sanju Samson’s exit from the franchise. The 24-year old has played nine T20Is for India but he has often been overlooked for a spot in the full-strength side.
Parag has the opportunity to prove his mettle yet again and make himself undeniable. He had a glorious season in 2024, where he made 573 runs at an average of 52 and strike rate of 149. Last year, he made 393 runs at a strike rate of 166 while averaging 32.75. The RR captain will need a better output than that.
Rishabh Pant was part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph but has been out of the team for a while. The left-hand wicket-keeper batter has not been at his best in the shorter format, and needs to reinvent himself to grab the attention.
In the previous IPL edition, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain had a disastrous campaign, scoring 269 runs at 24.45 average and 133 strike rate. These numbers looked much worse before his unbeaten century in the final game.
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Rajat Patidar led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their maiden title in the previous edition. He has played one ODI for India but is yet to make his T20I debut. He is a destructive batter in the middle order and can be good asset for the national team.
Patidar had a good IPL 2024 with 395 runs at an average of 30 and strike rate of 177. Last year wasn’t his best as he managed 313 runs at 24 average and 143 strike rate. The RCB skipper needs to deliver a great season to stake his claim in the Indian white-ball set-up.
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