Former Indian batter Abhinav Mukund, who played in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru but has now donned the hat of an expert, has made a bold IPL 2026 prediction about 14-year-old
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. During a rapid-fire round on ESPN Cricinfo, Mukund, who has also played seven Test matches for India from 2011 to 2017, has predicted that Sooryavanshi will top the list of batters with the most sixes in IPL 2026.
When asked who will hit the most sixes in IPL 2026, Mukund said, “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.”
14-year-old left-handed batter Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut in 2025 and hammered 24 sixes in seven matches for the Rajasthan Royals. For his super show with the bat in the world’s richest franchise cricket league, he won the Super Striker of the Season award in 2025, and this year, after his heroics in age group and domestic cricket, there will be high expectations from him.
During the rapid-fire round, when asked about his prediction for Virat Kohli’s strike rate in IPL 2026, Mukund said, “168.8”.
Kohli, who represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and tops the list of batters with the most runs in the tournament’s history, has a strike rate of 132.85 in the IPL. His best-ever strike rate in an IPL season was 154.69 in 2024, and in the last edition of the world’s richest franchise league, he batted with a strike rate of 144.71.
Ashok Sharma to be a breakout star
According to Mukund, 23-year-old uncapped fast bowler Ashok Sharma will be the breakout star of IPL 2026. Ashok, who represents Rajasthan in domestic cricket, has 22 wickets to his name in 10 T20 matches played so far. In the cash-rich league this year, he will represent the Gujarat Titans. The Ahmedabad-based franchise signed him for Rs 90 lakh in the auction last year.
Ashok earned a big deal in the IPL after he impressed with his performances in the 2025 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Rajasthan. He played 10 matches and accounted for the dismissal of 22 batters.
