Bhaskar English’s Best XI of week 5:Bhuvneshwar, Rickelton lead star-studded team; Riyan Parag, Jason Holder make the cut

More than half of the IPL 2026 season is done and dusted, and we’re nearing the business end. Week 5 of the 19th season will be a memorable one, thanks to a bowling masterclass from RCB as they reduced DC to 8/6, which looked more like an amateur football game score. A day later, Ryan Rickelton lit up the Wankhede Stadium with a sparkling unbeaten 123* against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but it wasn’t enough for the victory as the Orange Army recorded the highest successful chase at Wankhede. IPL 2026, best batsman of week 5: Ryan Rickelton Results aside, Ryan Rickelton takes the cake as the best individual performer with the bat this past week. His unbeaten 123* in 55 balls was the fastest hundred by any Mumbai Indians player in the league’s history. He helped MI post a mammoth total of 243/5, but it wasn’t enough to keep Sunrisers Hyderabad at bay. With Quinton de Kock and Rickelton both having scored a century each, the MI think tank will have their work cut out when Rohit Sharma returns to full fitness. IPL 2026, best bowler of week 5: Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattled the Delhi Capitals batters in tandem with Josh Hazlewood and registered his best figures of the season. With 3 wickets in the bag, Kumar, 36, gave away just 5 runs in his 3-over spell. He also took control of the Purple Cap briefly, but remained adamant that the collective goals of RCB were his top priority, not the individual accolades. The Uttar Pradesh veteran stepped up again and picked three wickets against the Gujarat Titans, albeit in a losing cause. IPL 2026, best fielder of the week 5: Rovman Powell Rovman Powell takes home the prize for being the best fielder this week. The Kolkata Knight Riders cricketer pulled off a sensational one-handed stunner to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen in the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The catch was special because Powell caught it with an outstretched right hand and did not lose control of the ball even as he landed hard. Let’s take a look at the best XI players from week 5, and how they stack up together when combined in one team. IPL 2026 Best XI of week 5 1) KL Rahul makes it to the list for a second consecutive week for his good form. In two matches, he has scored 76 runs, which included a match-winning 77 against the Delhi Capitals. He is also the captain of this team. 2) Ryan Rickelton scripted history this past week, becoming the fastest centurion for the Mumbai Indians. With a best performance of 123*, he has the highest score for MI in IPL. 3) Riyan Parag answered his critics in style with a solid 90-run knock against the Delhi Capitals. In two matches, he amassed 119 runs, and his return to form is good news for the Rajasthan Royals. 4) Devdutt Padikkal has been a consistent figure for RCB at the top of the order. The left-hander hit 74 runs in two matches this week. 5) Donovan Ferreira played a crucial role in RR handing the Punjab Kings their first loss of the season. His finishing skills really came to the fore this week, with 99 runs in two matches. 6) Jason Holder has turned out to be an important cog in the Gujarat Titans’ wheel this season. Holder took six wickets for the Gujarat Titans this past week, with both performances coming in winning causes. His best was a four-wicket haul against the IPL 2026 heavyweights, the Punjab Kings. 7) Bhuvneshwar Kumar continues to impress in the IPL, with the seasoned pacer turning up with two stunning performances. He took six wickets this week and has been heavily involved in the Purple Cap race. 8) Josh Hazlewood has simply been superb this week and he was one of the protagonists behind RCB defeating the Delhi Capitals in a dominant manner, bowling them out for just 75 runs. 9) Yuzvendra Chahal impressed with a three-wicket haul against the Rajasthan Royals. Although his performance did not result in a winning cause, it stood out as one of the best performances this past week. 10) Arshad Khan has injected new life into the Gujarat Titans’ pace bowling department. He picked up three wickets in GT’s superb victory over RCB last week. 11) Varun Chakaravarthy has produced a stunning turnaround this season. He took three wickets against the SRH, which came in a winning cause.