IPL 2026: Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Kartik Sharma - Top 6 Gen Z Indian Stars To Keep an Eye On

IPL 2026 will showcase rising Gen Z stars, including a 14-year-old prodigy and top auction buys. Six young Indian players, after standout domestic seasons, are expected to play key roles for their franchises and emerge as the league’s next big names.

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Gen Z's Likely to Take Over IPL 2026

The Indian Premier League will likely get into action in the month of March after a successful IPL 2026 mini-auction, which took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The upcoming edition of the cash-rich T20 league is expected to be exciting, as many young crop of players, especially belonging to Gen Z, are likely to take centre stage and play key roles for their franchises. 

In the last few seasons, established Gen Z Indian stars like Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, and others have emerged as key performers for their IPL teams and have become the strong pillars of Indian cricket. 

On that note, let's take a look at the top 6 Gen Z Indian Stars to keep an Eye on in the IPL 2026. 

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1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi

14-year-old Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi had a breakthrough year in 2025, with his sensational performances in IPL, India U19 tours of England and Australia, Emerging Stars Asia Cup, and Asia Cup. He even impressed in the domestic tournaments, especially the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

Vaibhav became known to the cricketing world for his sensational and record-breaking 101-run knock for the Rajasthan Royals against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur. The batting prodigy had an impressive debut IPL season last year, amassing 252 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 36 and an astonishing strike rate of 206.55 in seven matches. 

In the IPL 2026, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is expected to play the entire season for Rajasthan Royals rather than limited opportunities, and will look to build on his debut success, impressing consistently, scoring big runs, and cementing his place as a key player for the team.

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2. Prashant Veer

Another player to keep an eye on is Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer. The 20-year-old was acquired by the five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, for a whopping ₹14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in December, making him the joint-most expensive uncapped player in the history of the tournament.  

His impressive showing in the UP T20 League season, where he scored 320 runs and picked 8 wickets, played a big role in drawing heavy IPL interest. Prashant has been seen as a successor to Ravindra Jadeja, who was traded to the Rajasthan Royals, at the Chennai Super Kings. 

Having been roped in for a massive amount by CSK at the IPL Auction, Prashant Veer is expected to shoulder the responsibility of filling the shoes left by Ravindra Jadeja and contribute with the bat and bowl.

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3. Ayush Mhatre

India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre was retained by the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The 17-year-old came in as a replacement for skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out of the entire season last year due to an elbow injury sustained during the clash against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. 

Despite coming as a replacement, Mhatre made a statement in his debut IPL season, amassing 240 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 34.28 and a strike rate of 188.97 in nine matches. The young batter's blistering 94-run knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru made headlines, announcing himself as one of the rising stars in IPL.

Mhatre performed well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali, where he smashed two consecutive centuries and was the third-highest run-scorer for Mumbai with 325 runs. In the upcoming IPL season, Ayush Mhatre is expected to build on his debut success, play more consistently, and take on a bigger role for CSK, providing explosive stars and anchor the innings at the top.

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4. Kartik Sharma

The Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma was little known to Indian cricket fans until he grabbed headlines after the Chennai Super Kings acquired him for a whopping ₹14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 Auction, making him the joint-most expensive uncapped captain in the history of the league. 

The CSK was in search of a young finisher,and Kartik appeared to be an ideal option for the franchise, given his ability to accelerate innings in the death overs, and he has an impressive strike rate of 162.92 in his short T20 career, wherein he smashed 28 sixes in 12 matches. He performed well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, aggregating 133 runs at an average of 26.60 in five matches.

Kartik Sharma is expected to be entrusted with the finisher role in the upcoming IPL season and will look to make a big impact for CSK, accelerating innings and finishing games strongly.

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5. Priyansh Arya

The Delhi batter Priyansh Arya was retained by the Punjab Kings, reportedly for INR 3.2 crore, ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. It was a no-brainer for PBKS to retain him as he had an impressive debut IPL season last year, amassing 475 runs, including a century and two fifties, at an average of 27.94 and a strike rate of 179.24 in 17 matches. 

Following IPL, Priyansh had an impressive outing in Delhi Premier League 2025, aggregating 303 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 37.88 and a strike rate of 166.48 in 8 matches. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Arya had a decent outing for Delhi, scoring 197 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 28.14 in seven matches. 

In the upcoming IPL season, Priyansh Arya is expected to be one of Punjab Kings' key players, providing explosive starts and anchoring innings at the top. 

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6. Ashok Sharma

Another Gen Z Indian player to watch is Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma. The 23-year-old was acquired by the Gujarat Titans for INR 90 lakh, his most lucrative contract compared to the INR 55 lakh and INR 30 lakh he earned from Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, respectively. 

Ashok has not yet made an IPL debut and is expected to make a mark in the upcoming season of the tournament. The Rajasthan pacer's impressive performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26, where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 22 wickets. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ashok Sharma has picked 10 wickets in five matches. 

Ashok Sharma is expected to be one of the key bowlers for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, capitalizing on his excellent domestic form to make a strong impact in his debut season