With the IPL often producing jaw-dropping knocks and match-turning spells, Impact Points have become a useful lens for separating ordinary performances from truly decisive ones. The metric rewards batting and bowling contributions ball-by-ball, factoring in match pressure and situation—from the score and wickets available to the required run rate, the quality of the opposition batter or bowler, the support around the player, and the pitch’s demands. The result is a ranking of the top six batting and bowling displays in IPL 2026, based on cumulative innings impact.
How Impact Points measure “match-winning” moments
Impact Points are calculated from Smart Runs and Smart Wicket values. Every run scored (or conceded) is assigned Smart Runs based on the context of that ball, while each wicket is given a Smart Wicket value determined by similar factors. Because those values are added across the entire innings, the tally reflects not only what a player achieved, but when and how it mattered within the game’s flow.
Top batting performances in IPL 2026 (Impact Points)
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 198.38 impact points
97 (29) vs SRH, New Chandigarh
In the eliminator at New Chandigarh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came agonisingly close to breaking Chris Gayle’s mark for the fastest IPL hundred. Even without the century, his 29-ball 97 proved the most explosive batting display of the tournament. Under knockout pressure, he dominated the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack, smashing 12 sixes—four of them arriving in a mere eight-ball stretch against Pat Cummins. When he finally departed, his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal had managed 25 from 20 deliveries.
- Tilak Varma – 178.73 impact points
101* (45) vs GT, Ahmedabad
Tilak Varma’s innings started from a difficult position, arriving at 44 for 3 in the sixth over. He then took full control, remaining unbeaten on 101 off 45 balls (a strike rate close to 225) as the rest of the batting unit managed only 50 from 40 during the period he was in. Even with the target of 200 looming, Gujarat Titans could not keep pace, eventually being dismissed for 100.
- Sanju Samson – 151.72 impact points
101* (54) vs MI, Mumbai
Samson’s next unbeaten century followed shortly after CSK’s game against Gujarat Titans, but this time Mumbai Indians were the side forced to chase. Samson nearly carried the chase on his own as he steered CSK toward a total of 207 that looked match-defining. The next highest score in the innings was just 22, yet wickets kept falling at the other end without disturbing Samson’s control. MI fell short dramatically, being bowled out for 104. The turnaround mattered historically too: it marked the first time in IPL history that a team won and then lost its next IPL match by margins of 90-plus runs.
- Sanju Samson – 150.93 impact points
115* (56) vs DC, Chennai
Another Samson masterpiece, but earlier in the season—this one helping to settle doubts surrounding his switch to CSK. After three consecutive starts with single-digit scores, Samson found his rhythm and drove CSK to their opening triumph of the campaign. A major share of his Impact Points came from early dominance: during the powerplay, he struck 45 off 19 balls, accounting for most of CSK’s 61-run total in that phase.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 147.72 impact points
78 (26) vs RCB, Guwahati
Both sub-100 innings in this batting list belong to Sooryavanshi, underlining how much he can swing a match through sheer tempo. This knock made light of a 202-run target as his blitz powered Rajasthan Royals to 129 in just 8.1 overs after his dismissal. It was also his first matchup against Josh Hazlewood, and a sequence of 4, 4, 4, 6 in quick succession set the tone for that contest.
- Mitchell Marsh – 138.35 impact points
111 (56) vs RCB, Lucknow
Marsh’s season had a shaky first half, with 212 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 133.3. But the second leg brought a dramatic rise: he added 351 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 188.7. The century was the centrepiece, as his innings helped send RCB to a rare loss in a successful chase situation. A big part of the Impact Points came from the early surge—he put LSG on top even while his opening partner struggled. Arshin Kulkarni contributed just 17 off 24 in an opening stand of 95 in 9.2 overs; by that time, Marsh had already raced to 76 from 32 balls.
Top bowling performances in IPL 2026 (Impact Points)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 130.04 impact points
4/23 (4) vs MI, Raipur
When a bowler has very few off-days across an entire season, it’s hardly surprising that Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s most impactful performance tops the bowling list. Against Mumbai Indians in Raipur, he ripped through four of their key batters: Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. Three of those wickets arrived inside the first three overs, and Bhuvneshwar kept things tight with an economy rate of under six runs per over.
- Arshdeep Singh – 125.55 impact points
3/22 (4) vs MI, Mumbai
Arshdeep Singh delivered a similar kind of impact against the same opponent in a different match, during the period when Punjab Kings were still in winning mode. He removed Rickelton (2) and Suryakumar (0) early, then maintained control at under a run a ball. In that game, no other bowler managed to concede fewer than 7.5 runs per over.
- Corbin Bosch – 123.70 impact points
4/26 (4) vs MI, Raipur
The match also featured another four-wicket moment. While Bhuvneshwar’s spell had delivered a four-for, Corbin Bosch responded with his own four-wicket haul to help bring Mumbai Indians back into contention. Bosch’s wickets included Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David. Yet it still ended in defeat for his side: Bhuvneshwar struck a crucial six, and RCB managed to finish the chase off the last ball.
- Jacob Duffy – 123.64 impact points
3/22 (4) vs SRH, Bengaluru
Opening match of the season, and with Josh Hazlewood unavailable, Jacob Duffy stepped in and made an instant mark. He dismissed Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma during the powerplay, dealing with two of the most dangerous threats early. Duffy bowled at 5.5 runs per over, in a match where the next-best economy rate was 7.75—while ten bowlers were taken for more than nine runs per over.
- Mohsin Khan – 115.78 impact points
5/23 (4) vs KKR, Lucknow
The only five-wicket haul of the season still ranks fifth on the bowling chart. Mohsin Khan’s wickets included Tim Seifert, Cameron Green and Rovman Powell, but the spell could only force a tie. Rinku Singh played a decisive role afterward, ultimately ensuring KKR secured two points. Because the match was low scoring—155 played against 155—Mohsin’s economy rate did not translate into as many Impact Points as it might have in a game with bigger totals.
- Jamie Overton – 112.18 impact points
4/18 (4) vs DC, Chennai
In the game where Sanju Samson produced his first century for CSK, Jamie Overton backed it up with a standout bowling performance. Overton disrupted Delhi Capitals’ chase in both the middle and death overs, taking wickets of Sameer Rizvi, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs. He conceded at 4.5 runs per over, in a match where the next best economy rate among bowlers who bowled more than two overs was just 8.75.
