How a franchise usually reads in fantasy terms
Each IPL franchise carries 22 to 24 registered players. From that pool, the team picks eleven for the next fixture — a decision driven by the venue, the opposition, the dew window, and the impact-player nomination. The desk captures the working XI for every squad with the verification date printed next to the player.
Captains we are watching this week
| Franchise | Captain | Role cell | Next fixture | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI | Hardik Pandya | All-rounder · batting 4 / death bowling | Wankhede vs CSK | Active |
| CSK | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Top-order anchor · batting 2 | Chepauk vs MI | Active |
| RCB | Rajat Patidar | Top-order · batting 3 | Chinnaswamy vs SRH | Active |
| KKR | Ajinkya Rahane | Top-order · batting 3 | Eden Gardens vs DC | Active |
| DC | Axar Patel | All-rounder · batting 4 | Arun Jaitley vs PBKS | Active |
| RR | Sanju Samson | Wicketkeeper · batting 3 | Sawai Mansingh vs GT | Active |
| PBKS | Shreyas Iyer | Top-order · batting 3 | PCA Mohali vs LSG | Active |
| LSG | Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper · batting 4 | IS Bindra vs KKR | Active |
| GT | Shubman Gill | Top-order · batting 3 | Narendra Modi vs RR | Active |
| SRH | Pat Cummins | Pace · bowling 1 / batting 5 | Rajiv Gandhi vs RCB | Active |
Captain listings are sourced from the franchise handle on the morning of the match; partner operator squad pages may lag by 24 hours during heavy fixture weeks. The desk always cross-checks both before publishing a player frame.
Home ground reads the desk uses for every franchise
For every franchise, the desk has a working venue file in the IPL 2026 hub. The files are summarised in the fantasy playbook under “venue & conditions” — chase success, dew window, square-boundary distance, and the role the home franchise usually tries to exploit.
Reading the squad shape
Counting openers, middle-order anchors, finishers, powerplay bowlers, and death-over specialists across the registered squad tells you whether a franchise is one-batting or one-bowling heavy. One-batting squads need a wrist-spin differential. One-bowling squads need a top-order differential. The role-counting step takes 60 seconds and saves dozens of captain picks.
Injury and rotation watch
Injuries and rotation calls shape the squad shape week to week. The desk publishes an Injury watch note inside /news/ every Friday — three trending concerns, three trending returns. Subscribe to the news desk for the weekly note.
How the desk tracks each franchise
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. The file refreshes weekly during the season and twice a month in the off-season.
The franchise as a product
Each franchise is a product with its own role map and its own fantasy profile. Some franchises are batting-heavy (RCB, SRH, GT); some are bowling-heavy (CSK, RR). Reading the franchise profile before each fixture is part of the desk’s pre-toss input.
Cross-franchise comparisons
Comparing franchises across the season is meaningful only on the same role cell. Top-order to top-order, all-rounder to all-rounder, death bowler to death bowler. The desk publishes cross-franchise reads inside /ipl-2026/.
What a franchise file does not cover
Franchise files do not cover individual player profiles — those live at /players/. Franchise files do not cover the season summary — that lives at /ipl-2026/. Franchise files focus on the franchise-level role map and current squad state.
The franchise as a product — extended read
Each franchise is a product with its own role map and its own fantasy profile. Some franchises are batting-heavy (RCB, SRH, GT). Some are bowling-heavy (CSK, RR). Some are balanced (MI, KKR). Reading the franchise profile before each fixture is part of the desk’s pre-toss input.
The franchise files
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. Each file is published at /teams/. Files refresh weekly during the season.
How the desk reads the roster
A roster reads as five role cells: opening, middle, finishing, powerplay-bowling, death-bowling. The role cells are stable; the players inside them rotate. The desk counts role-cell coverage and notes gaps in the role map.
The franchise files in detail
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. The file refreshes weekly during the season and twice a month in the off-season.
The role counting detail
A franchise file lists every active player on the registered squad, sorted by role cell. Role cells: opening anchor (top-order), middle-order anchor, finishing all-rounder, powerplay wicket-taker, death-overs seam option, wicketkeeper. Counting role-cell coverage tells you whether a franchise is one-batting or one-bowling heavy.
How to apply a franchise file
Read the captain watch first. Read the role map second. Read the home ground file third. Apply the franchise profile to your XI selection. The desk publishes the franchise files; the reader decides how to apply them.
What franchise files do not cover
Franchise files do not cover individual player profiles — those live at /players/. Franchise files do not cover the season summary — that lives at /ipl-2026/.
The franchise discipline
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. The file refreshes weekly during the season and twice a month in the off-season. The discipline protects the editorial independence of the desk.
How to read a franchise file
Read the captain watch first. Read the role map second. Read the home ground file third. Apply the franchise profile to your XI selection. The desk publishes the franchise files; the reader decides how to apply them.
The role counting in detail
A franchise file lists every active player on the registered squad, sorted by role cell. Role cells: opening anchor, middle-order anchor, finishing all-rounder, powerplay wicket-taker, death-overs seam option, wicketkeeper. Counting role-cell coverage tells you whether a franchise is one-batting or one-bowling heavy.
Closing thoughts on franchise files
Franchise files are working references. The desk publishes the file with a verification reviewer name and a corrections pathway. The desk’s role is editorial reference.
The franchise discipline final
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. The discipline protects the editorial independence of the desk. The file refreshes weekly during the season.
Closing on franchise files
Franchise files are working references. The desk publishes the file with a verification reviewer name and a corrections pathway. The desk’s role is editorial reference.
The franchise discipline, second pass
The desk maintains a per-franchise file with the working squad, the captain, the role map, the home ground file, and the most recent squad update. The file refreshes weekly during the season and twice a month in the off-season.
Closing on franchise files — second pass
Franchise files are working references. The desk publishes the file with a verification reviewer name and a corrections pathway. The desk’s role is editorial reference.
