Young Indian Players In Line For Emerging Player of The Season In IPL 2026

Emerging player of the season candidates for IPL 2026 [Source: X]

Every season, the IPL gives a platform to young and exciting cricketers from around the country to showcase their talents and impress the fans and selectors to earn further opportunities. Thanks to the league, the Indian T20 cricket continues to bolster as it acts as a conveyor belt of talent.

The players aged under 25, with an experience of under 5 Tests, and/or 20 ODIs and/or less than 25 IPL matches are rewarded with a special Emerging Player of the Season Award at the end of every IPL campaign.

Previously, players like Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal have won the coveted title and have served India at the biggest stages.

The latest winner of this award, Sai Sudharsan, has also played for India in all three formats, and as the new crop of players come in IPL 2026, we explore the candidates to win it this season. 

Emerging Player of the Season Contenders for IPL 2026

1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR)

By now, the world has seen glimpses of what the left-handed opener, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, can provide to the Rajasthan Royals. Ahead of IPL 2026, he has already made 7 appearances for RR last season at just 14 and scored a scintillating century as well. In his 7 innings, he has scored 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.

In his 18 innings T20 career, he has 701 runs with three centuries and a fifty to his name, striking at 204.37. Suryavanshi was also a big reason why RR let go of captain and opener Sanju Samson to CSK in a trade deal, and is likely to play his first full IPL season. He is one of the leading candidates to win the Emerging Player of the Season for IPL 2026.

(Vaibhav Suryavanshi IPL 2025 and T20 stats)

Also Read: RCB Players Who Might Flop In IPL 2026

2. Prashant Veer (CSK)

The 20-year-old all-rounder, Prashant Veer, is touted as a long-term replacement for Ravindra Jadeja at CSK. He is heading into IPL 2026 with a big reputation for batting in the lower-middle order at an incredible strike rate and bowling economical left-arm orthodox bowling.

Following a bid-war, his base price of INR 30 lakh went up to a whopping INR 14.20 crore and could be seen starting all the matches for the Men in Yellow. In the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 112 runs at a strike rate of 169.69 and has 12 T20 wickets in 9 innings, conceding at only 6.45 runs per over.

Veer was also the Emerging Player of the Tournament in UPT20 2025, thanks to his high-impact knocks in the middle and death overs. He scored 320 runs in 10 innings, striking at 155.34 in the season.

(Prashant Veer's stats in T20s and UPT20 2025)

3. Kumar Kushagra (GT)

The 21-year-old wicketkeeper batter, Kumar Kushagra of Jharkhand, is likely to get chances in the Gujarat Titans middle-order after a ballistic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26 season. He helped Jharkhand lift the title as the third-highest run-scorer in the competition, scoring four fifties.

With not too many established Indian batters in the GT middle-order, Kushagra can use this opportunity to leapfrog his contemporaries and make a name for himself by potentially winning the Emerging Player of IPL 2026 season.

(Kumar Kushagra's stats in SMAT 2025/26)

4. Kartik Sharma (CSK)

The 19-year-old wicketkeeper batter from Rajasthan, Kartik Sharma, was one of the big-money signings made by CSK in the IPL 2026 auction, spending INR 14.20 crore on him. In his short career, Kartik Sharma has made a name for himself for his six-hitting and has 28 sixes, compared to 16 fours in 11 T20 matches played.

In SMAT 2025, he got 133 runs in 5 innings before sustaining an injury. He struck at the rate of 160.24 with 11 sixes and seven fours. He could get a chance at number 5 for CSK and can be a worthy name for the Emerging Player of IPL 2026 contention.

(Kartik Sharma's stats in T20 and SMAT 2025/26)

5. Mangesh Yadav (RCB)

One of the lesser-known talents to watch out for in IPL 2026 is the 23-year-old Mangesh Yadav. The left-arm pacer is a likely starter for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to replace Yash Dayal after his recent controversy. Yadav was bought by the defending champions for INR 5.20 crores in the auction and operates in the middle overs with a good bouncer in his arsenal.

In the Madhya Pradesh T20 League 2025, he was the leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps in just 6 innings, conceding at a rate of 8 runs per over and a strike rate of 9.00. His left-handedness gives him an edge over many bowlers and makes him a candidate for the Emerging Player of the Season award for IPL 2026.

Also Read: Punjab Kings' Players Who Might Spend IPL 2026 On The Bench