Where Punjab Kings finished last season
Runners-up. Punjab Kings (PBKS) made it to their second IPL final, but were beaten by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). They finished the league stage as table-toppers with nine wins in 14 matches.
What's new in IPL 2026
With a largely settled core, PBKS barely had to lift the paddle during the 2026 auction, having retained 21 players and released just four, including Australia's Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis.
For IPL 2026, PBKS have brought in Cooper Connolly, the attacking Australia batter who bowls left-arm spin, for both depth and flexibility, while BBL star Mitchell Owen, who came in as Maxwell's injury replacement last season, brings raw hitting power. They've also strengthened their back-up options: left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis brings his T20 experience, and could cover for Lockie Ferguson, who will not be available at the start of the season. PBKS have Xavier Bartlett in the mix for that role too. Karnataka legspinner Praveen Dubey has been added as cover for Yuzvendra Chahal, and Vishal Nishad, the UP spinner who is yet to make his state debut, was snapped up as a domestic scouting pick.
Last year, PBKS' middle order was a vulnerability, with their No. 4 spot in flux until captain Shreyas Iyer settled there late in the tournament, pushing Inglis to No. 3. Head coach Ricky Ponting had said after the loss in the final that the team had missed experience in the middle order. This year, with a long batting line-up and back-up options in place, that gap appears to be covered, and the bowling too boasts variety and depth.
Throughout the 2025 season, PBKS' band of inexperienced but fearless Indian batters carried them forward, and with continuity in coaching and leadership, PBKS will be hoping to convert potential into silverware this time around.
Who's out or in doubt?
New Zealand fast bowler Ferguson will miss the early parts of the tournament after prioritising time at home. He is fit otherwise.
ESPNcricinfo understands that Connolly has a suspected stress fracture in the back, and may not bowl in the IPL.
Likely best XII
1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nehal Wadhera, 5 Mitchell Owen/Cooper Connolly, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Shashank Singh, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Azmatullah Omarzai/Xavier Bartlett, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal.
Big question
Watch out for
The explosive uncapped opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh was one of the standouts for PBKS in 2025, when they racked up a total of 532 opening partnership runs in 17 innings. Together, they have given PBKS brisk starts regularly, a feature that had eluded them in previous seasons, setting the platform for the likes of Shreyas and Nehal Wadhera in the middle order. Prabhsimran and Arya have shown their ability to take on fast bowlers and spinners alike, a skill that was on display during their 120-run stand against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
If it's Arya and Prabhsimran at the top, it's Shashank Singh at the finish. He played that role to perfection, racking up 350-plus runs last season, which included seven not-outs in 14 innings. Shashank was PBKS' top scorer in the final against RCB, striking 61 off 30 balls, famously hitting Josh Hazlewood for 6, 4, 6, 6 off the last four deliveries with the target out of reach at that point. With memories of that heartbreak still fresh, Shashank will be eager to make up for it this season.
Key stats
PBKS had seven 200-plus totals in ten matches when batting first in IPL 2025. But they had two totals under 120 in two of the three innings where they failed to get 200.
Shreyas hasn't played a T20 since the IPL 2025 final against RCB.
Azmatullah Omarzai is one of four players with 750-plus runs and 50-plus wickets in men's T20s since the completion of IPL 2025.
PBKS have won only three of their 10 matches in New Chandigarh. Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, they won 12 and lost eight matches outside of the venue. In 2025 alone, they had two wins and three losses there, but won eight and lost three at other venues.