Former England captain Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook have shared their predictions for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) champion.
Vaughan, who led England to a memorable Ashes victory in 2005, is supporting the Mumbai Indians (MI) to claim their sixth IPL title. MI hasn’t won the trophy in six years, with their last win in 2020 against Delhi Capitals.
“Mumbai Indians are winning it this year. They haven’t won it in a few [years] but they have got an incredible team,” Vaughan stated on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.
Cook, Vaughan’s former teammate, believes the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will secure their second straight title in 2026. If they succeed, they would become only the third team in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, following Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and MI (2019 and 2020).
Cook expressed confidence in RCB head coach Andy Flower, with whom he played for many years.
“I am going with RCB. They are going back-to-back. I am trusting [Andy] Flower,” Cook remarked, responding to Vaughan’s prediction.
Meanwhile, Vaughan and Cook’s podcast partners, former England players Phil Tufnell and David Lloyd, are backing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to win their sixth title. CSK last won the tournament in 2023 and will be looking for a stronger campaign after finishing at the bottom in 2025 with only eight points.
In the 18-year history of the IPL, only three teams have won multiple titles: MI, CSK, and Kolkata Knight Riders, who have lifted the trophy three times.
The defending champions RCB will kick off the 2026 IPL season with a home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, March 28, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. MI will begin their campaign a day later at home, facing KKR at the Wankhede Stadium.
