IPL 2026 | Tough gig, tougher new blokes

Bengaluru: There is no doubt that the last two months in the IPL have belonged to the batters, with the ever-escalating scoring rates forcing bowling attacks to constantly reinvent themselves and evolve. 

With the task of delivering under the pressure -- a new normal, where totals beyond 230 are scored at ease, few of the unheralded quicks have hit the right notes.

They have not only managed to produce moments of magic but have also delivered match-winning performances across the season. 

Sakib Hussian -- M: 11, W: 15, BBM: 4/24, Eco: 9.48

Back in Bihar, he goes by the name ‘Gopalganj’s Rabada’. In a Sunrisers side that has Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussian has stood out like a beacon. 

Much before he was testing batters with his sheer pace, accuracy and variations, he was being tested to make ends meet. And then the IPL came calling, and Sakib, grabbed it with both hands. 

While he failed to get a game for Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers showed faith. Sakib enjoyed a dream debut, picking up 4/24. The Bihar man has not looked back since, collectively taking 15 wickets, and at least one in 10 of the 11 games. 

Brijesh Sharma -- M: 12, W: 13, BBM: 2/18, Eco: 9.70

Having played age group cricket in Jammu & Kashmir, Brijesh Sharma made a move to Bengal in search of better opportunities.

The 27-year-old drew some eyeballs in the 2025 Bengal Pro T20 League where he picked 11 wickets, which, in turn, interested Rajasthan Royals to sign him for Rs 30 lakh.

In 12 games, Brijesh has picked up 13 wickets, using the change of pace and yorker as effective weapons. With a lot of tennis ball cricket under his belt, Brijesh’s arm-speed also makes it difficult for the batters to pick his back-of-the-hand delivery.

Praful Hinge -- M: 7, W: 14, BBM: 4/34, Eco: 11.73

Manifesting your dreams is what people suggest, and that’s exactly what Praful Hinge has done so far. The 24-year-old, known for his ability to generate bounce off a good length with his higher arm release, etched his name into the history books by picking up three wickets in his first over on debut, which was never done.   

The Vidarbha-born Hinge, who prefers to hit-the-deck, ran through Rajasthan Royals’ top-order with a brilliant first spell of 4/6. In the tournament, Hinge has 14 wickets in the seven games. 

Hinge has also been a part of Vidarbha’s 2024-25 Ranji Trophy and 2025-26 Vijay Hazare winning campaigns. 

Saurabh Dubey -- M: 4, W: 5, BBM: 2/28, Eco: 8.26

Saurabh Dubey came into the season as a KKR net bowler, got promoted into the main squad as an injury replacement to Akash Deep and now has walked away as a promising talent, whose domestic career could be rekindled. 

Having not featured in a high-profile game since October 2023, the Vidarbha man made his debut against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur. While he remained wicketless, he showed glimpses of promise for KKR to persist.

The persistence paid off as Saurabh picked up five wickets in the next three games, including the likes of Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and David Miller.