IPL 2026 best impact player options for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, PBKS, GT, LSG, DC, RR, SRH: MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal and… check full list – Zee News

The Indian Premier League (IPL) continues to evolve and the “Impact Player” rule has become a pivotal tactical weapon. Entering its fourth season, the Impact Player rule has evolved from a novelty to a critical tactical weapon and teams are moving away from “bits-and-pieces” substitutions to “specialist Impact players”. These key players can single-handedly alter the course of a match as an impact sub. 
Ahead of the much-awaited IPL 2026, which will kick off on March 26, the teams are meticulously planning to use their “12th Man” – the Impact Player in the best possible manner to get the desired results.
Based on squad compositions, recent player form, and strategic fit; here are the best Impact Player options for RCB, CSK, MI, KKR and other teams for IPL 2026 season:
Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary are the ideal Impact Player options for five-times champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Interestingly, in the IPL 2026 auction and trading window, CSK made major moves – acquiring Sanju Samson via trade from Rajasthan Royals, buying Kartik Sharma, a young wicketkeeper for a whopping Rs 14.20 crore – that reduces the dependency on MS Dhoni. With Samson likely keeping wickets, Dhoni is free to play purely as a batter. The Impact Player rule is perfect for this, allowing him to sit out the fielding innings (protecting his dodgy knees) and come in solely to bat in the final few overs. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)  
Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mangesh Yadav, Devdutt Padikkal are the ideal Impact Player options for defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.  (Pic credit: IANS)      
Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep and Anukul Roy are the ideal Impact Player options for  Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.  Pathirana is currently injured, so it will be interesting to see whether he gets fit in time for IPL 2026 or not. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Mayank Markande, Ashwani Kumar and Atharva Ankolekar are the ideal Impact Player options for Mumbai Indians (MI) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Notably, former skipper Rohit Sharma also played as ‘Impact Player’ in many matches during the IPL 2025 so it won’t be surprising if he does the same in the upcoming 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Mayank Yadav, Digvesh Rathi and Abdul Samad are the ideal Impact Player options for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)    
Ashutosh Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan are the ideal Impact Player options for Delhi Capitals (DC) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Zeeshan Ansari, Shivam Mavi and Eshan Malinga are the ideal Impact Player options for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma and Arshad Khan are the ideal Impact Player options for Gujarat Titans for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Harpreet Brar, Prabhsimran Singh and Yash Thakur are the ideal Impact Player options for Punjab Kings for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger and Shubham Dubey are the ideal Impact Player options for Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. (Pic credit: IANS)      
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