TOI Online Poll: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi voted breakout star; 86% of fans say IPL has become too batting friendly

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: IPL 2026 has reached its business end and a TOI Online poll has revealed how fans feel about the season and what they expect from the playoffs.Ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs, cricket fans shared their views through poll responses on TOI Online. The race to predict the future champions turned out to be a tight one, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru among the favourites. Around 39% of voters backed star Virat Kohli’s side to lift the trophy.RCB finished top of the league table on the back of an excellent net run rate after registering nine wins in a grueling 70 league matches. They finished level on points with second-placed Gujarat Titans and third-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.After RCB, fans chose Gujarat Titans as the next favourites, with the Shubman Gill-led side getting 24% of the votes. SRH followed with 21% while fourth placed Rajasthan Royals got 16% support.One of the biggest topics of the poll was the question, “Who is the most promising talent of IPL 2026?” The result was largely one-sided, with 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi securing a massive 89% of the votes. The young Rajasthan Royals opener has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the season.Lucknow Super Giants’ Prince Yadav came second with 7% while Chennai Super Kings’ Anshul Kamboj and Kartik Sharma got 2% votes each.The survey also reflected growing concerns about the balance between bat and ball in the IPL. A whopping 86% of fans felt the tournament was becoming more bat-friendly, reflected in the record number of 200-plus totals this season.Viewership trends also showed a shift towards digital consumption. About 43% of respondents said they watched IPL matches on smart TVs through streaming apps, while 27% preferred mobile phones. Traditional cable television accounted for 25% of the viewership, with only 5% watching on computers or laptops.

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Another major concern among viewers was the increasing use of technology in matches. About 54% of fans felt that too much technological intervention interfered with the dynamism and flow of the game.