New Delhi: Former England captain Michael Vaughan made a bold prediction as he picked his favourites to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title. The 2026 edition of the IPL is all set to get underway on Saturday, March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) locking horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening game of the season.
While almost all ten teams look strong on paper after bolstering their respective squads in the mini-auction last year, the likes of RCB, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans are among the favourites given the quality and depth in their ranks. Vaughan has backed the Mumbai Indians to lift a record sixth title this year.
In a tweet, the former England skipper stated that only one team is going to win the trophy this year, and that is the Mumbai Indians. “Only 1 team winning this year and it’s @mipaltan,” Vaughan wrote.
Only 1 team wining this year and it’s @mipaltan https://t.co/09qX3TJH6J
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2026
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians are one of the most successful teams in the history of IPL, but have not won the title in the last five seasons. Their last triumph came under former captain Rohit Sharma in 2020. Hardik Pandya, who was appointed captain after returning to the franchise in 2024, will continue to lead the five-time champions in IPL 2026.
Mumbai Indians will be desperate to bring an end to their trophy drought this year and they have the team to do it. MI have the likes of Rohit, Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in their batting line-up, which is one of the best in the league. In the bowling department, the incredibly consistent Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead their pace attack that also consists of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, among others.
Mumbai Indians also have great depth in their all-rounders department with the likes of Hardik, Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks and Corbin Bosch in their ranks. MI will have high hopes from their captain and the likes of Rohit and Suryakumar as they look to bring an end to their wait for a record sixth title.
Alastair Cook backs RCB to win back-to-back titles
Meanwhile, England great Alastair Cook backed defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to retain the title. Rajat Patidar-led RCB enjoyed a dream campaign in IPL 2025 to lift their maiden title after beating Punjab Kings in the final. They will once again start as one of the favourites, having retained a majority of their title-winning team from last season.
Cook backed RCB to defend their title successfully, while placing faith in the franchise’s head coach, Andy Flower. “I’m going RCB, and they’re going back-to-back. I’m trusting Flower,” Cook said on the Stick To Cricket podcast. On the same podcast, Vaughan picked the Mumbai Indians as his favourites.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have the likes of Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shepherd in their strong batting line-up. They also have a well-rounded bowling attack featuring the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood and Krunal Pandya, among others.
RCB are set to miss the services of Hazlewood for the first few games of the season and will also be without left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who will sit out the entire season amid rape cases against him. Nonetheless, they have enough depth in their bowling department to replace the duo and make a strong start to the season. RCB will take on SRH in the IPL 2026 opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.