IPL 2026 Pacers rankings: MI tops, SRH trails - Full analysis of all teams

Sakshi Sharma

Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh (Source: AFP)Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh (Source: AFP)

The IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi turned out to be one of the most dramatic auctions in recent years. With INR 215.45 crore spent on 77 players, teams reshaped their squads with a clear focus. Big-money signings, surprise buys, and bold strategies ensured that every franchise walked away with talking points.

Cameron Green made history after being sold for INR 25.20 crore, while Chennai Super Kings shocked everyone by paying INR 14.20 crore each for uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. 

With the squads now locked in, here is a team-by-team look at the pace bowling units for IPL 2026, ranked from strongest to weakest.

1. Mumbai Indians (MI) - 9.5/10

Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Corbin Bosch

  • Mumbai Indians boast the most complete pace attack in IPL 2026, and for this reason, we have rated them 9.5/10. Jasprit Bumrah will remain the gold standard in death bowling, while Trent Boult’s ability to swing the new ball makes him lethal in the powerplay, which will be crucial for MI in IPL 2026.
  • Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur will likely add all-round depth and flexibility, allowing Mumbai to rotate bowlers smartly across phases. 
  • Deepak Chahar will strengthen the powerplay further with his swing bowling. With quality backups and match-winners at every stage, MI’s pace unit looks perfectly balanced and intimidating.

2. Rajasthan Royals (RR) – 9/10

Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Adam Milne 

  • Rajasthan Royals have assembled a robust and varied pace attack for IPL 2026. The Rajasthan-based franchise can benefit from Jofra Archer's genuine express pace and his ability to dominate both powerplay and death overs. 
  • Along with him, Sandeep Sharma can bring control, swing, and experience, especially at the back end of the innings, but the main question remains about his fitness.
  • South African left-handed bowler Nandre Burger will add variety, while Tushar Deshpande can strengthen the Indian core with proven death-over skills. 
  • Adam Milne will likely provide experienced overseas backup. Overall, RR’s pace unit has depth, variety, and wicket-taking ability across all phases.

3. Punjab Kings (PBKS) - 8.5/10

Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Dwarshuis, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Xavier Bartlett

  • Punjab Kings will rely heavily on Arshdeep Singh in IPL 2026, who remains one of the best Indian death bowlers. Marco Jansen will add left-arm variety, while Lockie Ferguson will bring raw pace. 
  • To add depth in the bowling department or as injury replacements, they can also use bowlers like Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Xavier Bartlett.
  • They also have the option of Ben Dwarshuis, who will likely offer depth, but PBKS lack a consistently dominant Indian pace partner for Arshdeep. The unit is balanced and threatening as the top teams.

4. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - 8/10

Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Zakary Foulkes, Aman Khan, Shivam Dube

  • CSK's pace attack is versatile but lacks a standout Indian fast bowler. Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Choudhary provide left-arm options, while Nathan Ellis and Matt Henry will handle overseas duties with experience. Jamie Overton will add pace and all-round value.
  • If there is any injury concern or rotation is required, they can rely on Shivam Dube as he has improved as an bowler. They can also rely on Gurjapneet Singh and Aman Khan as backup.
  •  While adaptable to conditions, CSK's pace unit may struggle against explosive batting line-ups without a consistent Indian strike bowler.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – 7.5/10

Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green

  • KKR's pace attack is stacked with options for every situation. KKR will heavily rely on Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman after attaining the pair in the recent IPL 2026 mini-auction.
  • Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora will handle the new ball, while Umran Malik, if given a chance, can add raw pace as a strike option. Cameron Green will provide crucial middle-order overs alongside batting firepower. The variety and depth make KKR’s pace unit one of the most flexible in IPL 2026.

6. Delhi Capitals (DC) - 7/10

Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Auqib Nabi, Lungisani Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson

  • Delhi Capitals have a strong, experienced pace attack led by Mitchell Starc. The left-armer remains a big-match bowler with swing, pace, and death-over expertise. T. Natarajan can complement him perfectly with his accurate yorkers for DC.
  • Mukesh Kumar will offer reliability as an Indian option, while Lungi Ngidi and Dushmantha Chameera will likely provide overseas depth and raw pace. They have also acquired Jammu and Kashmir's pacer, Auqib Nabi, for a whopping Rs 8.40 crore in the IPL mini-auction. 
  • So DC can also depend on the right-arm medium pacer and expect him to continue with his impressive form.

7. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) - 6.5/10

Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav

  • RCB have a well-rounded pace unit capable of defending totals. Josh Hazlewood will bring control and bounce, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will add swing and experience in both the powerplay and the death overs. It would not be wrong to say that RCB will want their two prime bowlers to perform significantly for them as they did in IPL 2025.
  • Nuwan Thushara's slingy action will pose a wicket-taking threat, and Yash Dayal will want to improve on last year's performance and continue to grow as a reliable Indian option for the defending Champions. 
  • Romario Shepherd will add all-around balance. With depth and variety, RCB’s pace attack looks solid.

8. Gujarat Titans (GT) - 6/10

Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Arshad Khan, Jason Holder

  • On paper, the Gujarat Titans have one of the most fearsome pace attacks. Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna provide speed, bounce, and wicket-taking ability, while Ishant Sharma and Jason Holder bring experience and control.
  • However, injury concerns around key players slightly lower their rating. If fit, GT’s pace unit can dominate any batting line-up, but managing workload and fitness will be crucial.

9. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) - 5.5/10

Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Arjun Tendulkar

  • LSG’s pace attack is packed with speed and potential. Mohammed Shami's inclusion ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction could turn out to be a smart move for LSG. He can add the class and experience that the team lacked last year in the IPL. 
  • He can be well-supported by Mayank Yadav's raw pace, and the young pacer can be a genuine game-changer, but one thing that is against him is that he has been an injury-prone bowler. 
  • For LSG, Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan offer solid Indian options, and Anrich Nortje provides express pace. The only concern for LSG is fitness, as several bowlers have injury histories.

10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) - 5/10

Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga, Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Praful Hinge, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Nitish Kumar Reddy

  • Captain Pat Cummins leads SRH’s pace attack, and a similar thing will be expected for him in IPL 2026. SRH will want Harshal Patel to continue his decent performance from last year and will wish for significant support from Jaydev Unadkat.
  • The 'Orange Army' will want Youngster Eshan Malinga to show more promise in IPL 2026. In case of injury concerns and rotation, they can also bring in young options Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Mavi, as well as uncapped players Onkar Tarmale, Praful Hinge, and Sakib Hussain.
  • It is important to note that the unit depends heavily on senior players and lacks raw pace and depth compared to other teams. While experienced, SRH’s pace bowling may struggle to dominate across a long season.