Rajat, Venkatesh fail to find form at home venue:₹15 lakh recruit Ashutosh disappoints; Madhav, Akshat impress with batting

The spotlight in MPL 2026 is on 12 IPL players, but only a few have impressed in the opening matches. League’s most expensive player and Malwa Stallions captain Ashutosh Sharma, bought for ₹15 lakh, has scored just 95 runs in six innings. Meanwhile, IPL-winning stars Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer have also struggled to make an impact on their home turf. In contrast, Ujjain Falcons all-rounder Madhav Tiwari, Rewa Jaguars’ Akshat Raghuvanshi, and Chambal Ghariyals’ Avesh Khan have stood out with strong performances. Patidar in form after slow start Rajat Patidar, who made RCB IPL champions for the second consecutive time, was expected to deliver big performances in the MPL. However, his bat remained silent in the initial matches. He has scored 105 runs in three matches. He showed signs of returning to form by playing a match-winning, unbeaten innings of 65 runs off 30 balls against Malwa Stallions. Venkatesh Iyer also could not show his old form Indore Pink Panthers captain Venkatesh Iyer has scored 88 runs in three matches and has taken only one wicket. However, against the Malwa Stallions, he played a quick-fire innings of 54 runs in 22 balls, which included 6 sixes. Most expensive player Ashutosh’s poor performance Malwa Stallions had placed the biggest bid of Rs 15 lakh on Ashutosh Sharma in this season’s auction. But captain Ashutosh has only scored 95 runs in 6 innings so far. Being the most expensive player in the league, big innings were expected from him, but his bat remained completely silent in the initial matches. This is why, amidst discussions about the performance of IPL stars in MPL, Ashutosh’s name has been included among the most disappointing players. Kuldeep Sen’s disappointing performance Kuldeep Sen, who has captained Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, is part of the Bundelkhand Bulls this season, but his performance so far has not been up to expectations. He conceded 47 runs in four overs in one match and failed to take any wickets. These faces became MPL stars Madhav Tiwari showed his strength Ujjain Falcons all-rounder Madhav Tiwari is among the most influential players in the initial phase of MPL. He has scored 286 runs in 5 matches with an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 182.19. Additionally, he has taken 7 wickets with an impressive performance in fast bowling. His performance with both bat and ball has strengthened the team. Madhav’s name is being discussed the most in MPL. Akshat Raghuvanshi’s explosive batting caught attention Rewa Jaguars’ young batsman Akshat Raghuvanshi has made his mark in just two matches. He has scored 127 runs at a strike rate of 276.09. This includes an explosive innings of 85 runs off 32 balls. His aggressive batting has become the talk of the league. Avesh Khan showed sharp bowling Chambal Ghariyals’ fast bowler Avesh Khan has taken six wickets in three matches. Bowling at an economy of 6.83, he did not allow opposing batsmen to play freely. His IPL experience is clearly visible in his performance. Arshad did not play, Aniket took charge Arshad Khan, who played the IPL 2026 final for Gujarat Titans and is the official captain of Bhopal Leopards, has not yet stepped onto the field in the MPL. In his absence, Aniket Verma is leading the team. Aniket has scored 137 runs in four matches. After struggling in the initial matches, he made a comeback to form by playing a brilliant innings of 25 runs off 10 balls against Rewa Jaguars and 85 runs off 39 balls against Bundelkhand Bulls. Shivang and Kartikeya’s impressive bowling Bundelkhand Bulls’ left-arm spinner Shivang Kumar has taken two wickets in two matches, bowling at an economy of 7.53. Meanwhile, Royal Nimar Eagles’ Kumar Kartikeya took two wickets for 24 runs in four overs against Chambal Ghariyals in his only match. Shivam Shukla took five wickets in an innings Shivam Shukla of Indore Pink Panthers delivered a brilliant bowling performance, taking five consecutive wickets in an innings. His spell is among the most memorable performances in MPL history. Mangesh Yadav took charge of the bowling attack Mangesh Yadav, the medium-fast bowler for Gwalior Cheetah, has taken four wickets in three matches. He has provided crucial breakthroughs for the team by taking wickets at regular intervals.