IPL Preview Show 2026 - Part 2: SRH, CSK, GT, RCB & MI, plus predictions!

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again (almost all of us) to kick off the IPL 2026 coverage with a bumper preview show in two parts. This is part two, in which we previewing the fortunes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru & Mumbai Indians.

We're straight into it this time around to discuss an SRH side that was much hyped in 2025, but never really found a run of performances to get themselves in the playoff picture. Once again, though, the team looks built around power, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen set to lead the way. But can the bowling hold up until Pat Cummins arrives?

Next up is CSK, a team that Stu was surprised to see ranked so highly. We talk about the youthful look to their potential lineup, which could include the likes of Ayush Mhatre & Dewalt Brevis to supplement the old heads like offseason recruit Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shivam Dube. We also wonder whether Matt Henry will get an extended run of games, and how many MS Dhoni moments we might see in 2026.

For GT it looks like business as usual. Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan & Jos Buttler at the top, with stars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna with the ball. There was some debate about who might fill out the overseas roles, with Kagiso Rabada, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder & Tom Banton all in the mix, but all in all they look a team set to be hard to beat again in 2026.

RCB return to the IPL as defending champions, but potentially without the services of Josh Hazlewood for a decent chunk of the tournament. We talk about how much his absence could hurt them, the impact of Bhuvi Kumar and Krunal Pandya in 2025, plus whether they'll find room for Jacob Bethell and which overseas player might have to sit out as a result. There's also a bit of Virat Kohli chat, given his excellent form in recent times.

The Mumbai Indians are short-priced favourites, and it's hard to find many flaws in their potential lineups. They're stacked with Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, & Tilak Varma, and the overseas players aren't too bad either. We talk about the questions facing their side. Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton? Can they fit both Will Jacks & Mitchell Santner into the lineup? And how fun is it to watch Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah bowl in tandem?

To round out the preview, we make our predictions! Overseas MVP, local MVP, purple cap, orange cap, top 4, bold predictions and our picks for who will be calling themselves champions come the end of the season.

We'll be back in your feed again at the end of the week to discuss the start of the tournament and a few other things going on in the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or !) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro
1:40 Sunrisers Hyderabad
10:20 Chennai Super Kings
19:30 Gujarat Titans
28:10 Royal Challengers Bengaluru
36:30 Mumbai Indians
44:05 Tournament predictions!