Amit Mishra picks 4 groups for playoffs after IPL 2026 public sale; leaves out five-time champions

Former leg-spinner Amit Mishra picked his 4 groups for the playoffs after the IPL 2026 public sale. The public sale happened on Tuesday, December 16, in Abu Dhabi. A complete of ₹215.45 crore was spent, and 77 gamers have been offered, together with 29 abroad gamers.

Amit Mishra picked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He additionally added the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the checklist and acknowledged that 4 of those 5 groups would make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs. Notably, he disregarded five-time champions Chennai Tremendous Kings (CSK).

“KKR, MI, SRH, RCB and GT. I believe 4 from these 5 will make the playoffs,” he stated in a podcast on MensXP’s YouTube channel.

Whereas MI and RCB already had robust groups earlier than the auctions by way of their retentions, KKR and SRH added some firepower to their respective squads with key signings.

Kolkata acquired star Australia all-rounder Cameron Inexperienced for a record-breaking ₹25.2 crore. In addition they introduced Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, and Tim Seifert, together with Indian prospects like Akash Deep and Rahul Tripathi.

SRH acquired England all-rounder Liam Livingstone for ₹13 crore, including to their already power-packed batting line-up with the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen.

Amit Mishra on why IPL groups are like household to gamers

The IPL is the largest T20 franchise league on the earth. Through the years, groups have turn out to be like household to gamers who had long-standing associations with a single franchise. Amit Mishra reckoned that it was the help from the groups for the gamers that mattered.

RCB’s star Virat Kohli was in tears after they gained their maiden IPL title within the 2025 season. Amit Mishra mirrored that the feelings got here out because the franchise supported him from the beginning of the league. Kohli was picked by RCB in 2008 and retained each single season.

“RCB has supported Virat from the beginning. They’ve by no means left him. So the feelings are there. Dhoni with CSK, Rohit with MI, the feelings are there. Rohit has been with Mumbai for such a very long time and has gained them many titles. It’s seen in him even after not being the captain, that it’s his time and his residence. Even with Virat, it was like that. From the beginning he has been there, even captained and did every thing he may, he was at all times concerned. So it turns into like a household. So when issues like that occur (RCB profitable), these feelings come out. And it’s good as effectively. When a crew has supported you a lot, when you win for them and present these feelings, it’s a excellent factor,” he stated.

Notably, Kohli is the one participant to have represented a single crew for 18 seasons within the IPL. He performed a key position in them profitable their maiden title as effectively. Kohli scored 657 runs from 15 matches within the 2025 version at a mean of 54.75 and a strike fee of 144.71 with eight half-centuries.