IPL 2026 Auction: Which team has the strongest bowling unit across pace, spin, and death-overs specialists?
The IPL 2026 mini-auctions concluded on December 16. While some franchises filled gaps in their squad, others added extra strength into their arsenal. All of it resulted in an eventful auction ahead of an anticipated season.
In the world of franchise cricket, especially the IPL, a common saying declares that the tournaments are half won at the auction table. It would have been the same for the franchises that lived through intense bidding wars to get their hands on the players they desire.
Batters had their fair share of attraction, with T20s becoming increasingly batter-centric. However, the importance of a good bowling unit cannot be written off. The mini-auctions saw teams who have quietly built bowling attacks capable of winning tournaments. As the dust settles after an intense day, here are the teams that have the best bowling arsenal this season.
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Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals have assembled a well-rounded bowling attack for the upcoming edition. Having entered into the auction with limited gaps to fill, the Jaipur-based franchise will be happy with what transpired.
Jofra Archer will continue to lead the pace attack and as a like-to-like backup, the Royals have picked up Adam Milne. In them, they have two speedsters capable of bowling at a raw pace and taking wickets at crucial junctures of an innings. Archer is likely to lead the attack alongside Nandre Burger for the Royals, with Kwena Maphaka being Burger’s replacement if the need arises.
They have a well-rounded contingent of overseas pace-talent while Sandeep Sharma offers a handy option at the death. Talking about spinners, the Royals have the veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who will be supported by their new buy Ravi Bishnoi.
Therefore, the Royals are quite content with their five bowlers. Moreover, all-rounder Sam Curran offers them a decent sixth option. Every single of these bowlers are seasoned T20 players capable of adapting to different conditions. Lastly, the Jaipur-based franchise also freshened up their talent pool with young faces like Yash Raj Pinj and Vignesh Puthur.
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Gujarat Titans
Much like the Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans have all their bases covered in the bowling department. Their pace attack comprises Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Prasidh Krishna, all of whom have proven track record in IPL as well as international cricket.
Jason Holder, the new recruit, comes in with a lot of experience and provides balance to the squad as a seam bowling all-rounder. Interestingly, Holder is the highest T20 wicket taker in 2025. Additionally, Luke Wood provides another pace option. Ishant Sharma, who did well in patches in the 2025 season, serves as a backup to the India pacers, and young Ashok Sharma adds raw pace.
In the spin department, Gujarat have Rashid Khan, who is arguably one of the best spinners in the T20 format. He is likely to be their fourth bowling option and giving him support would be all-rounder Washington Sundar and left-arm spinner Sai Kishore. Barring a few, most of Gujarat’s bowlers are active in international cricket, giving them a significant edge over other franchises while handling pressure situations.
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Mumbai Indians
The five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, probably have the most-complete squad among all franchises this season. That is one of the reasons why they didn’t have to do much in the mini-auction. The core group of pacers, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult, pick themselves in the Playing XI.
Though they didn’t have the chance to back up options, their bowling attack still remains strong and impressive. Mumbai Indians have hard-hitting all-rounders in Corbin Bosch and Hardik Pandya who double-up as handy pacers, giving them the luxury of balance.
In the spin department, they have New Zealand white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner. The left-arm spinner can provide a lot of control in the middle-overs. Moreover, they have retained Allah Ghazanfar despite an injury-plagued season in 2025.
Other spin options include Mayank Markande who gives them wicket-taking leg-spin. Young all-rounder Atharva Ankolekar is the next name on the list. Almost every Mumbai bowler can operate under pressure situations with minimal guidance.
While other teams also possess talented bowlers, many of them lack the experience of playing together extensively, unlike these sides. Hence, considering all factors, the three teams mentioned above boast the strongest bowling arsenals after the IPL 2026 auction.
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