Punjab Kings entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction with one of the smallest purses, holding just INR 11.50 crore, the second-lowest among all franchises after Mumbai Indians. Despite the limited budget, the runners-up of IPL 2025 chose continuity over overhaul, retaining 21 players and releasing only four.
With just four slots to fill, including two overseas spots, PBKS largely stayed quiet at the auction held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and made only minimal additions. Led by Shreyas Iyer and guided by a determined coaching staff, PBKS appear to be a settled unit heading into IPL 2026. With last season’s strong finish still fresh, the franchise will be eager to go one step further and lift their maiden IPL title.
Strengths
One of PBKS’ biggest strengths lies in their impressive overseas all-rounder depth. The squad boasts power-packed names such as Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mitchell Owen, and Cooper Connolly. These players are capable of making an immediate impact with the bat while also contributing valuable overs with the ball. Their experience across various international and franchise leagues adds balance and firepower to the lineup. This all-round strength gives PBKS multiple match-winners and strong tactical options in different match situations.
Weaknesses
The primary concern for PBKS remains their relatively inexperienced Indian core, apart from captain Shreyas Iyer. Players like Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Musheer Khan, and Vyshak Vijaykumar have limited exposure at the highest level of IPL cricket. While they possess talent and potential, inconsistency and lack of experience under pressure could hurt the team in crunch situations, especially against seasoned opponents.
Opportunities
The Punjab-based franchise finished as runners-up last season and have renewed confidence and belief. With the core group intact, the team has a golden opportunity to build on last year’s momentum. IPL 2026 could be the season where PBKS finally ends its long-standing title drought and scripts history by lifting their first-ever IPL trophy.
Threats
The inexperience remains the biggest threat for PBKS. The young Indian players struggled to handle pressure at key moments last season, and similar issues could resurface if they fail to find form early in the tournament. If the overseas stars do not receive adequate support, PBKS’ campaign could once again falter at decisive stages.
Punjab Kings IPL 2026 squad:
Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Vishal Nishad, Praveen Dubey.
India
