Richard Mann nominates his best bets from the IPL specials markets, including a 25/1 selection making six appeal.
Cricket tips: IPL 2026
2pts Punjab Kings to hit the most tournament sixes at 9/2 (bet365)
1pt Kolkata Knight Riders to hit the most tournament sixes at 25/1 (General)
2pts Aiden Markram top Lucknow Super Giants tournament batsman at 7/2 (Spreadex, Sporting Index)
2pts Prasidh Krishna top Gujarat Titans tournament bowler at 3/1 (Spreadex, Sporting Index)
The market I wanted to kick off this specials preview with was highest tournament innings score, won last year by Sunrisers Hyderabad despite their largely inconsistent campaign.
In fact, Sunrisers posted the three highest totals of the tournament, 286-6 in the opening fixture proving best of the lot, just pipping the 278-3 they later plundered in Delhi.
The same team also won this market in 2024, but having been with them at a bigger price 12 months ago, I’m happy to leave them alone at 9/4 this year.
I’m not convinced Sunrisers are that strong this season, either, with doubts about their bowling attack, though a particularly dangerous top four is expected to click at some stage and make them a big threat in this particular market.
Punjab batting packs a punch
However, the TEAM TO SCORE THE MOST TOURNAMENT SIXES market is similarly priced up, with Sunrisers again heading the betting, and their inconsistent nature and the fact they might not make the playoffs suggests they are a poor price.
Sunrisers managed 120 sixes last season, not even close to winning the market which was won by PUNJAB KINGS, who hit 173 in a breakthrough campaign, their first with Ricky Ponting as head coach.
As I wrote in my pre-tournament preview here, Punjab boast a fearsome batting line-up, the kingpin being the brilliant Shreyas Iyer who muscled 39 maximums on his own last term – the second highest individual aggregate.
He was ably supported by dashing opener pair Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, and there is Marcus Stoinis and Nehal Wadhera to follow in a powerful middle order.
I think Punjab are particularly dangerous in this market, so am happy to throw my support behind Ponting’s boys again at 9/2.
I wouldn’t discount Mumbai Indians at all, and their position at the top of the outright market is justified given the batting power at their disposal. They play their home games at the small Wankhede Stadium.
Home comforts point to KKR
However, at 25/1, I can’t resist a small bet on KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS, who also make the staking plan in the outright market.
At the odds, this market might represent better value, given this team is all about batting power and that they play their home matches at Eden Gardens, another tiny ground which is generally very good for batting.
There is an abundance of power at the top of the order through Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, and plenty of depth, too, finished off by the brilliant Rinku Singh.
Allen, who made a 33-ball century at his new home at the recent T20 World Cup, hit 38 sixes in 11 matches in this season’s Big Bash, despite playing his home games at Perth were the square boundaries are huge. The next highest tally in the tournament was 20.
With a few injuries to the bowling attack, KKR's chances have been given a slight jolt since publication of that outright preview, but the batting remains outstanding and primed for plenty of big hitting.
In the individual team markets, ever-dependable Delhi Capitals opener KL Rahul should again finish as their leading tournament runscorer, for all quotes around the even-money mark are easily passed over.
There is a big advantage to those batting at the top of the order in these markets, meaning the 17/2 about Ryan Rickelton for top Mumbai batsman honours would look huge if we could be sure he’ll get the nod over compatriot Quinton de Kock to walk out alongside Rohit Sharma.
Markram and Krishna can shine
The top batsman bet I really like, however, is AIDEN MARKRAM to be top LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS TOURNAMENT RUNSCORER at 7/2.
Markram enjoyed a fruitful time of it last time around, finishing with 445 runs at an average of 34.23, and he has taken his batting to another level since.
He produced a match-winning hundred in the final of the Test Championship at Lord’s, guiding South Africa to a famous victory over Australia, and is hot from averaging close to fifty at the recent T20 World Cup in India.
The market looks a shootout between himself, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, but while Markram has gone great guns in the last 12 months, Marsh has not, while Pooran can be as frustrating as he is brilliant.
Always the biggest of Markram fans, I prefer the red-hot opener, especially at odds of 7/2.
With the ball, I like PRASIDH KRISHNA to be top GUJARAT TITANS TOURNAMENT BOWLER at 3/1.
Krishna has developed into the bowler most observers in India thought he would become. Tall and capable of hitting 90pmh, he gets awkward bounce and can swing the new ball away from the right-hander.
He took big wickets in last summer’s Test series in England, and was the Titans’ leading wicket-taker in this competition last year, claiming 25 scalps from 15 matches. That put him six clear of next best Sai Kishore.
This market was always likely to be headed by wrist-spinner Rashid Khan, but there is little mystery about his bowling nowadays, and most teams often look to reduce risk against him and take greater chances elsewhere.
That is likely why fellow tweaker Kishore did so well last season, and more broadly, makes this market an appealing one for a bet.
Krishna should be at the peak of his powers right now, and expected to play throughout as one of the Indian-bowling bankers, he looks a good bet 3/1.
Posted at 13:10 GMT on 25/03/26
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