Punjab Kings (PBKS) are the wild cards of the IPL and are going into 2026 with a new strategy. After a decent 2025, they are looking to mix things up. They are keeping only a few players and planning to make big moves in the auction to get a stronger and more balanced team.
Punjab Kings IPL 2026 Squad: Only a small group of players will be retained and PBKS will build a new team at the auction. They will look for local talent and overseas players who can really make an impact to support the players they have retained.
Which players will PBKS release before IPL 2026?
After 2025, PBKS will release some of the expensive or underperforming players. Here are the players who may be released:
Glenn Maxwell: He played 7 matches and scored only 55 runs. His injury and poor form makes him likely to be released.
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Azmatullah Omarzai: His all-round play was up and down and he was expensive. He might not be retained.
Aaron Hardie: He didn’t play at all in 2025 so he will be released.
Yash Thakur: He didn’t get many chances and didn’t impress in his 2 matches.
Which players will PBKS retain for IPL 2026
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Mitchell Owen, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Musheer Khan, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Jamieson, Vishnu Vinod, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash
Players from 2025 who will build the team for the future
These four players were the best in what was otherwise an average season. Their consistent play and potential makes them the core of the team as they head into 2026.
Shreyas Iyer (Captain): Shreyas is a calm and composed leader who brings stability to the batting and a lot of captaincy experience. His ability to hold an innings together makes him a key player PBKS will build around.
Prabhsimran Singh: This aggressive wicketkeeper-batter was a good top-order option with his aggressive approach in the powerplay. He can get the team off to a flying start and will be key to PBKS’s batting plans.
Shashank Singh: 2025 was Shashank’s year, with his strong hitting in the middle overs. He played several match-winning innings and showed he can handle pressure.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep is PBKS’s main fast bowler and kept impressing with his swing and accuracy at the death. His consistent bowling makes him an obvious player to retain and a key part of the team’s attack.
PBKS 2026 Playing XI
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Priyansh Arya
- Josh Inglis
- Shreyas Iyer (C)
- Nehal Wadhera
- Shashank Singh
- Marcus Stoinis
- Marco Jansen
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Kyle Jamieson
