Veteran leg-spinner and IPL legend Amit Mishra has shared his early predictions for the 2026 season, notably leaving the five-time champions out of his top contenders. Speaking on a recent episode of MensXP’s YouTube podcast, the former India international identified five teams he believes will dominate the upcoming season, following a high-stakes mini-auction in Abu Dhabi that saw several franchises overhaul their rosters.

Amit Mishra picks the semifinalists of IPL 2026

During the candid discussion, Mishra was asked to pick the teams most likely to reach the playoffs for the 19th edition of the league. Without hesitation, he narrowed the field down to five specific franchises, citing their recent squad depth and tactical acquisitions. Mishra went with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He also added Gujarat Titans (GT) to the list.

“KKR, MI, SRH, RCB, and GT. I think four from these five will make the playoffs,” Mishra stated during the podcast.

Mishra’s predictions appear to be influenced by the aggressive recruitment strategies seen at the recent auction. KKR secured Australian star Cameron Green for a record ₹25.20 crore, signaling a massive shift in their middle-order power. Similarly, RCB brought in Venkatesh Iyer to bolster their local core. SRH strengthened their squad further with the addition of Liam Livingstone. MI focused on ‘homecoming’ and stability. They brought back Quinton de Kock for just ₹1 crore—a massive steal—to partner Rohit Sharma.

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No place for Chennai Super Kings in Mishra’s prediction

While Mishra did not explicitly detail why he left out the five-time champions, his comments come at a time when CSK have undergone a significant ‘youth overhaul.’ Mishra’s snub of CSK likely stems from their high-risk strategy. While they landed Sanju Samson in a blockbuster trade, they lost cornerstone players Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals. CSK spent ₹28.40 crore on just two uncapped players: Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. Analysts argue that by letting Matheesha Pathirana go to KKR, CSK have a massive void in death bowling that hasn’t been fully addressed by new signing Matt Henry.

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