Chris Gayle pulls out of LPL, franchise confirms

The 37-year-old Kohli played a vital role in RCB's title win last season, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament, contributing significantly with 66 fours and multiple fifty-plus scores.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2026, in one of the biggest trades in the tournament's history, Samson was traded from RR to CSK and will don the yellow colours at the price of Rs 18 crores. In turn, Sam Curran and seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were traded to the inaugural champions. While Jadeja's price will go down from Rs 18 crores (at CSK) to Rs 14 crores, Curran will continue receiving his existing fee of Rs 2.4 crores.

Fiery half-centuries from Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, a three-wicket haul by Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah's masterclass spell of 4/15 were the highlights as Team India successfully defended a massive 256 runs, beating New Zealand by 96 runs to become the first-ever team to defend the title and also lift it at home.

The tournament witnessed some breathtaking catches, heartbeat-raising run-chases, magnificent cricketing shots and bowling spells that capture the nature of modern-day T20 cricket, and several records were broken. Some individuals from the present and future of the format lit up the tournament.

India all-rounder Axar Patel described India's victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 as an emotional and unforgettable moment, revealing that the triumph became even more meaningful as his son watched him play from the stands for the first time.