Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra picked KL Rahul’s knock of 152 runs off 67 balls as the best knock of IPL 2026. Rahul batted at his absolute best against Punjab Kings and scored the highest individual score by an Indian player in IPL history.

This was only the third 150+ score in the IPL. Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle are the other two foreign players to have scored knocks of 158 and 175 runs respectively in the IPL.

Meanwhile, Rahul smashed 16 fours and nine sixes in his blistering knock as he batted at the top of his game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. The DC opener added 220 runs off 95 deliveries with Nitish Rana. But Rahul’s efforts went in vain as PBKS went on to register a six-wicket win as they pulled off the highest chase in the IPL history.

On the other hand, Aakash Chopra picked Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the best opener of IPL 2026. The prodigious batter ended the IPL 2026 season with 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a blistering strike rate of 237.30. He ended as the leading run-getter in the tournament and thus bagged the Orange Cap. 

Along with it, he was awarded the MVP of the tournament, Super Striker of the Season, Emerging Player of the season, and also bagged the award for the most sixes (72) in the season.

The renowned commentator picked Heinrich Klaasen as the best middle-order batter. Klaasen scored 604 runs in 15 matches and once again delivered consistently for SRH.

The former Delhi cricketer tipped Rajasthan Royals’ Donovan Ferreira as the best finisher of the recently concluded season. The South African batter scored 317 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate of 179.09.