Sooryavanshi most bang-for-buck player of IPL 2026, Rishabh Pant, Green worst value-for-money

Big-money players mostly have underperformed at IPL 2026. Whereas, some frugal buys are lighting the tournament up.

Somehow, in the IPL, the highest-paid players aren’t the best performers for multiple reasons, and IPL 2026 is no different. Rishabh Pant, LSG’s 27 Cr star, has only scored 189 runs in 8 matches at an SR of 126, while Cameron Green, at 25.20 Cr, is yet to prove his worth with the bat or ball. On the other spectrum are players who just don’t get enough money — and yet they are stars in their own right — the ones who provide value for each and every penny spent by their respective team owners; the ones we call the value for money players.

The simple definition of ‘value player’

But before we get into the details of what and why, how are we really deciding who provides the best value for money? Barring the formula, the simple principle is, the player who performs the best, and is deriving a lower salary. For example, if Virat Kohli scores 800 runs in the season, and there is Ayush Mhatre who scores 700 — the latter will be more valuable, money-wise, for the team. That is because Kohli is getting 21 Cr from Bengaluru for the whole season, while Mhatre is getting only 30L for his services to Chennai.

Especially those who want to analyze real-time matches, they get quick updates using the visit Bhalobet platform.

Just to be fair to the players, who are deservedly making tons of money in the IPL, this is not to question their ability but just a way of highlighting how well some of the lesser players have really done for themselves and their franchises.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a total value-for-money player

Till now, 42 matches have been played in the season, out of 70, and it is not that difficult to gauge who really might come in the list for ‘value for money’ players. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, for starters, has once again tormented the bowlers from all oppositions and has even scored a ton, contrary to what the expectations were this year.

Why does he top the list? He started off with a statement-making 52 from 17 deliveries. The highlight of that innings was his 300+ strike-rate. What followed against MI and GT in the next two matches is, cameos of 31 and 39, but substantial ones, giving the platform to others, to accelerate. One must remember, the Mumbai game was a rain-curtailed one — and on a difficult wicket after the downpour – he smashed around bowlers like Bumrah, Trent Boult, and Deepak Chahar.

For more Records And Stats, check out here

* The most influential coaches in IPL history

As for his 100 against SRH, that came in only 36 deliveries; who would have thought that Sooryavanshi could repeat such a feat after his exploits in the 2025 edition, where he scored the second-fastest IPL ton ever in 35 balls. But he only showed, that he is a class apart – and the big names don’t bother him. With that he became the fastest (25 innings) and the youngest (15 years 29 days) to amass 1000 IPL runs. Also, 12 sixes meant, the most sixes in an innings by an Indian.

Top 10 most valuable players

Player	Salary (Cr)	Runs	SR	Balls Faced	Wckts	ECO	Balls Bowled	POTM	Value Score
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	1.1	400	238.09	168	0	0	0	3	896.7
Eshan Malinga	1.2	0	0	0	15	8	213	2	406.3
Donovan Ferreira	1	182	158.26	115	1	14	6	0	205.7
Priyansh Arya	3.8	283	250.44	113	0	0	0	2	173.2
Quinton de Kock	1	132	162.96	81	0	0	0	0	153.6
Akeal Hosein	2	0	0	0	6	7.97	82	1	86.6
Mohsin Khan	4	0	0	0	9	6.37	96	1	81.2
Abhishek Sharma	14	425	209.35	203	0	0	0	3	65.8
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	10.75	0	0	0	17	7.54	210	2	54.5
Jofra Archer	12.5	0	0	0	14	8.27	198	1	31.1

Big names missing, ‘lesser stars’ delivering

The table above is self-explanatory of sorts. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, till now, is the best ‘value for money’ player in IPL 2026, with what he brings to the table for the Rajasthan Royals. He is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament, whereas his strike rate of 238 overall is only second to that of Priyansh Arya. Great value for a price of 1.1 Cr only.

Another Rajasthan player, who doesn’t seem to have done anything significant, Donovan Ferreira, finds himself on the list in third position. 8 matches and 182 runs aren’t a significant contribution statistically, but look at the value he added in some matches. In the last match, against PBKS, while chasing 223, he scored 52 in 26 deliveries, a strike rate of 200. He came out to bat at 123/3, with exactly 100 runs needed in 52 deliveries. And then ended the match with four to spare. In the previous match to that vs SRH, he blasted 33 from 16. A 69 vs the same opposition when the side was reeling at 9-5 can’t be forgotten either. All this for a salary of 1 Cr.

One must not forget the once big boy of Indian cricket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. At 36, he is still one of the finest exponents of T20 bowling across the world. And that is why he is being paid 10.75 Cr by RCB. Look at the value he is bringing to the table. He is the purple cap holder with 17 scalps, has an economy of 7.54, has been the go-to bowler when Josh Hazlewood was not there, and now, when the Aussie is leaking runs. This year, in death overs, he has given away only 78 runs in 10 overs, picked up 6 wickets, while the dot ball % has been 23.3.

Non-performers list

Player	Salary	Runs	SR	Balls Faced	Wickets	ECO	Balls Bowled	Value Score
Nicholas Pooran	16	82	81.18	101	0	0	0	3
Jasprit Bumrah	12	0	0	0	2	8.8	180	3.8
Rishabh Pant	27	189	126.84	149	0	0	0	6.3
Cameron Green	25.2	196	153.12	128	2	12.12	48	8.5
Suryakumar Yadav	16.35	162	140.86	115	0	0	0	10

This list is where things start to look ugly. Bumrah, who is usually really good, has not been among the wickets, which means he finds himself in the unwanted category. No matter how good his economy has been throughout, of 8.8, he still has not delivered for MI in terms of wickets, and a part of the reason for them failing is this.

The Pant & Pooran problem for LSG

There is a certain Pant on the list who has struggled. His value score is down to under 4, and for that very same reason, he faces the risk of being ousted from the Indian ODI team as well. Just imagine a player being bagged for 27 Cr, is captaining LSG, has one of the best pace attacks, and not being able to produce wins for his team.

He has consistently been batting at no. 3, but whatever the situation may be, he has just added pressure to other batters. In the last match vs KKR, while chasing a modest 156, he only managed 42 from 38. Against RR, while chasing 160, he was out for a duck, and LSG were bundled out for 119. In another match vs RCB, he could not withstand the pressure from Josh Hazlewood and was out for 1 from 6. So, all in all, a forgettable performance.

Pant, though still isn’t the worst out there. It is his teammate Nicholas Pooran — who with a salary of 16 Cr, cannot justify just 82 runs in the season. His value score is 3, and that just highlights the problem of his SR — which is unbelievably low at 81. Last year, he was a different player, who scored 524 runs for the team at an SR of 196, and hit 40.

This year he has been pathetic, and even he redeems himself, can’t reach this level now. Wonder why LSG are languishing in the 10th spot in points table; one part reason has to be the failure of Pooran at no. 4. His highest score has been only 22, and has hit only 4 sixes. One of the problems has been his batting against spin, which seems to have deteriorated. In 7 innings vs spinners in IPL this year, he has been dismissed thrice, average is only 14.3, and strike-rate is in 90s. There hasn’t been a single innings so far, where his SR has been over 100. One can trace the RCB vs LSG match, where Lucknow only scored 146 on a good Bengaluru wicket, and he could only score 1 from 7. Truly a disaster of a performance, a total reversal of fortunes.

But then, all this can change in a jiffy, and this might only help the fans to understand that judging a player only by stats might not be enough. It is all about how effective they have been, for the price at which they have been acquired.

*List includes only players who have played/bowled at least 50 balls in IPL 2026

*Stats till Match no. 42 of IPL