For the first time in years, Punjab Kings enter an IPL season with a truly settled combination. Few would bet against them going all the way to claim an elusive first IPL title.
Key Points
- Punjab Kings retained the core of their squad which exceeded all expectations in IPL 2025.
- Punjab Kings bought only four players, spending Rs 3.6 crore AT the mini auction in December.
- Captain Shreyas Iyer excelled with the bat last season, having piled up 604 runs in 17 matches at a staggering strike rate of 175.07, with six fifties.
Could 2026 be the year when Punjab Kings finally break their IPL jinx?
They came agonisingly close last year when they missed out on their first ever IPL title by a whisker, losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs in a thrilling final.
Even though they finished on the losing side, the big silver lining for Punjab Kings was that they ended a long wait of 11 years by advancing to the IPL final.
The bold decision to overhaul their squad saw them reap huge dividends in IPL 2025. New Captain Shreyas Iyer along with Coach Ricky Ponting turned Punjab Kings from perennial strugglers into a consistent winning machine.
After a long time, Punjab Kings finished top of the points table, with nine wins from 14 matches, proof to their dominant performance in the league stage.
Unsurprisingly, Punjab Kings retained the core of their squad which exceeded all expectations in IPL 2025 last year. They bought only four players, spending Rs 3.6 crore in the mini auction in December. The Ponting-coached Punjab Kings added two more Australians to their line-up in left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis and young all-rounder Cooper Connolly along with two uncapped Indian leg-spinners in Vishal Nishad and Praveen Dubey.
For the first time in years, Punjab Kings enter an IPL season with a truly settled combination. Few would bet against them going all the way to claim an elusive first IPL title.
But for Punjab Kings to break their IPL curse, a lot of things need to go their way just as it did last season -- with their batting once again leading the charge.
Can Captain Shreyas Work His Magic Again?
Captain Shreyas will once again need to lead from the front with the bat, and replicate his phenomenal batting performances from last season when he amassed 604 runs in 17 matches at a staggering strike rate of 175.07, with six fifties.
Apart from Shreyas, Punjab Kings don't boast of any other big international batting star. Instead their batting depth is built on a foundation of some young Indian talents who exploded on to the big stage in grand style last year.
Delhi's Priyansh Arya was the breakthrough star in IPL 2025, smashing 475 runs from 17 matches at a strike rate of 179.25, forming a dangerous opening combination with local lad Prabhsimran Singh, who scored 549 runs at a strike rate of 160.53.
Shashank Singh is another key figure in the batting whom Punjab depend a lot to turn around games in the middle and death overs. He has been remarkable with the bat in the last two seasons, with 350-plus runs each time at a strike rate well in excess of 150.
Then there is the ever-dangerous Marcus Stoinis, whose explosive cameos with the bat last season cemented his position as a key member of the squad.
Nehal Wadhera, who joined Punjab Kings last season, enjoyed a stellar debut for his new team, stroking 369 runs at a strike rate of 145.85.
Punjab will need their top batters to fire in unison once again in IPL 2026, with not enough experienced players in their squad. The likes of Musheer Khan, Vishnu Vinod, Harnoor Pannu and Pyla Avinash have a lot of potential but given their inexperience they could struggle to break through into the playing XI.
Arshdeep, Chahal Lead Punjab's Bowling Hopes
But the presence of some top international all-rounders in Marco Jansen, Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mitchell Owen adds immense firepower and flexibility to the Punjab Kings' line-up.
The bowling will spearheaded by pace sensation Arshdeep Singh, who came up with some fine performances to play a big role in India's T20 World Cup triumph.
Punjab's hopes with the ball rests majorly on the young Arshdeep, who could be entrusted to bowl a couple of overs with the new ball in the Powerplay and also in the death overs, where he has shown the ability to keep the boundaries down with his ability to bowl yorkers and change of pace deliveries.
Kiwi Lockie Ferguson's unavailability could be a blow for Punjab but they have enough cover in Jansen, Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett in the pace department among the overseas players. Indian pacers Vyshak Vijaykumar and Yash Thakur will be eager to make a mark when given chances.
Experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will be desperate to redeem himself after a below-par showing last season when he took 16 wickets from 14 matches at an expensive economy rate of 9.56. Like Arshdeep, Chahal, 35, can prove to be a game-changer with the ball, especially in the middle overs.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, who famously dismissed Virat Kohli for his maiden IPL wicket in 2021, is another key bowler for Punjab having been part of their squad since 2019. While he does the holding job to perfection in the middle overs, Punjab Kings will be eyeing more wickets from him this season.
Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge is another exciting prospect for Punjab Kings with his ability to score quick runs at the end but he could find it difficult to get regular chances in a team stacked with quality all-rounders.
Since the inaugural IPL in 2008, Punjab Kings, which was formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, have made it to the play-offs only three times in 18 seasons, including two finals.
For a franchise that has waited for nearly two decades for an IPL crown, could this be the year when Punjab Kings finally create IPL history?
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Players signed at IPL Auction 2026:
Cooper Connolly (Rs 2 crore)
Ben Dwarshuis (Rs 1 crore)
Vishal Nishad (Rs 30 lakh)
Praveen Dubey (Rs 30 lakh)
IPL 2026: Punjab Kings Squad
Total players: 25
Overseas Players: 8
Batters:
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Shashank Singh, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan.
All-rounders:
Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shegde,
Wicket-keepers:
Prabhsimran Singh, Vishnu Vinod.
Bowlers:
Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ben Dwarshuis, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad.
Punjab Kings' Schedule For Phase 1 Of IPL 2026:
