IPL 2026
Punjab Kings | PBKS 2026 Squad, Players, Stats, and Season History
Feb. 16, 2026
Punjab Kings (PBKS), founded in 2008 as Kings XI Punjab, represent the cricket culture of Punjab in the Indian Premier League. The franchise is owned by K.P.H. Dream Cricket Pvt. Ltd., with Preity Zinta, Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, and Karan Paul among the key stakeholders. After years at Mohali, the team now plays primarily at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, while also hosting select games in Dharamshala.
PBKS has built its identity around aggressive cricket and memorable individual performances. Their biggest achievements include finishing runners up in 2014 and topping the league table in 2025 before narrowly losing the final. The franchise also set a global T20 record by successfully chasing 262 against Kolkata in 2024. A rebrand in 2021 marked a shift toward building a stronger long term identity and competitive consistency.
Entering IPL 2026, Punjab Kings are one of the more stable squads in the league. Led by captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, the side relies on a solid Indian core alongside experienced all round strength. After missing the title by six runs in 2025, the focus is clear this season: convert stability into their first championship win.
PBKS At a Glance (IPL 2026)
- Captain: Shreyas Iyer
- Head Coach: Ricky Ponting
- Key Additions: Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly, Praveen Dubey (later re signed in auction), Vishal Nishad
- Biggest Exit: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis
- Auction Strategy: Minimal targeted approach with a small purse. Focus on replacing Maxwell’s role and adding left arm pace depth.
- Squad Strength: Strong continuity from the 2025 runner up side with a proven top order and deep all round options.
- Squad Concern: Limited Indian wicketkeeping backup and thin spin depth beyond the primary options.
PBKS IPL 2026 Squad
Batters & Wicketkeeper (PBKS 2026)
PBKS retain a stable Indian core led by Shreyas Iyer, supported by aggressive young top order options and dual wicketkeeping coverage. The structure prioritizes continuity after the 2025 final run while maintaining depth across batting positions.
| Player |
Role |
| Priyansh Arya |
Opening batter |
| Pyla Avinash |
Batter |
| Harnoor Singh |
Batter |
| Shreyas Iyer (c) |
Middle order batter |
| Mitchell Owen |
Middle order batter |
| Prabhsimran Singh (wk) |
Wicketkeeper batter |
| Vishnu Vinod (wk) |
Wicketkeeper batter |
| Nehal Wadhera |
Top order batter |
All-rounders (PBKS 2026)
Punjab continue to rely heavily on multi skill players for balance. The group provides seam coverage, spin rotation, and finishing ability which allows flexible overseas combinations and deeper batting length.
Batting Contribution Table
| Player |
Primary Role |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
Middle order hitter |
| Cooper Connolly |
Top order utility |
| Marco Jansen |
Lower order power |
| Musheer Khan |
Development depth |
| Shashank Singh |
Finisher |
| Marcus Stoinis |
Power middle order |
| Suryansh Shedge |
Backup option |
Bowling Contribution Table
| Player |
Primary Role |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
Seam support |
| Cooper Connolly |
Spin rotation |
| Marco Jansen |
Strike pace |
| Musheer Khan |
Spin depth |
| Shashank Singh |
Utility overs |
| Marcus Stoinis |
Matchup overs |
| Suryansh Shedge |
Seam backup |
Bowlers (PBKS 2026)
The attack blends experienced IPL wicket takers with variety in pace angles and wrist spin control. Arshdeep leads the seam unit while Chahal anchors the spin phase, supported by rotational depth options.
| Player |
Role |
| Arshdeep Singh |
Lead pacer |
| Xavier Bartlett |
Seam rotation |
| Yuzvendra Chahal |
Strike spinner |
| Praveen Dubey |
Spin backup |
| Ben Dwarshuis |
Pace depth |
| Lockie Ferguson |
Express pace |
| Harpreet Brar |
Spin control |
| Vishal Nishad |
Development spin |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak |
Rotation seamer |
| Yash Thakur |
Pace support |
IPL 2026 Trade / Transfer Summary (PBKS)
The franchise avoided trades and retained most of its core squad, focusing on continuity and minor auction adjustments rather than structural changes.
- Players Traded In:
None
- Players Traded Out:
None
- Released Players:
Glenn Maxwell
Josh Inglis
Aaron Hardie
Kuldeep Sen
Praveen Dubey (later re signed in auction)
Retained squad chemistry while freeing overseas slots for targeted role replacements without disrupting a settled lineup.
Batters & Wicketkeepers (PBKS 2026)
| Player |
Tournament |
Mat |
Runs |
Ave |
SR |
100s |
50s |
| Shreyas Iyer |
IPL |
133 |
3731 |
34.22 |
133.34 |
0 |
27 |
| Priyansh Arya |
IPL |
17 |
475 |
27.94 |
179.24 |
1 |
2 |
| Pyla Avinash |
T20s |
13 |
198 |
18.00 |
116.47 |
0 |
1 |
| Harnoor Singh |
T20s |
9 |
169 |
21.12 |
130.00 |
0 |
1 |
| Mitchell Owen |
IPL |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0 |
0 |
| Prabhsimran Singh |
IPL |
51 |
1305 |
25.58 |
151.92 |
1 |
7 |
| Vishnu Vinod |
IPL |
6 |
56 |
9.33 |
98.24 |
0 |
0 |
| Nehal Wadhera |
IPL |
36 |
719 |
26.62 |
142.94 |
0 |
4 |
- Shreyas Iyer anchors the batting core and leadership
With 3731 IPL runs, he remains the stabilizer at No.3 and shapes PBKS’s innings structure.
- Prabhsimran Singh drives early scoring
His 151+ strike rate provides attacking starts and covers wicketkeeping duties.
- Nehal Wadhera adds middle order balance
A reliable left hand option with 719 IPL runs, helping control overs 7–15.
- Priyansh Arya offers explosive top order depth
A century and 179 SR make him a high impact opening partner option.
- Bench depth remains developmental
Harnoor, Avinash, Vinod, and Owen provide rotation coverage rather than fixed starting roles.
All-rounders (PBKS 2026)
Batting Contribution
| Player |
Tournament |
Matches |
Runs |
Average |
Strike Rate |
| Marcus Stoinis |
IPL |
109 |
2026 |
28.13 |
144.71 |
| Shashank Singh |
IPL |
41 |
773 |
40.68 |
157.75 |
| Marco Jansen |
IPL |
35 |
141 |
12.81 |
109.30 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
IPL |
16 |
99 |
12.37 |
133.78 |
| Cooper Connolly |
BBL |
37 |
786 |
30.23 |
137.41 |
| Musheer Khan |
IPL |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
| Suryansh Shedge |
IPL |
5 |
7 |
2.33 |
63.63 |
Bowling Contribution
| Player |
Tournament |
Matches |
Wickets |
Average |
Economy |
| Marcus Stoinis |
IPL |
109 |
44 |
32.93 |
9.79 |
| Marco Jansen |
IPL |
35 |
36 |
31.91 |
9.40 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
IPL |
16 |
12 |
38.75 |
9.68 |
| Cooper Connolly |
BBL |
37 |
27 |
18.25 |
6.84 |
| Musheer Khan |
IPL |
1 |
1 |
27.00 |
13.50 |
| Suryansh Shedge |
IPL |
5 |
0 |
— |
13.33 |
| Shashank Singh |
IPL |
41 |
1 |
52.00 |
10.40 |
- Marcus Stoinis anchors the all rounder structure
His multi season IPL output provides stability in both middle overs scoring and sixth bowler coverage.
- Shashank Singh drives domestic finishing reliability
A 40+ average with elite strike rate positions him as the primary late innings accelerator.
- Marco Jansen expands powerplay tactical options
Left arm pace gives early phase wicket access while maintaining lower order depth.
- Cooper Connolly increases matchup flexibility
Spin capable all round option supporting overseas rotation without compromising batting balance.
- Secondary group provides depth rather than primary load
Omarzai, Musheer, and Shedge give structural flexibility but are not core production dependencies.
Bowlers (PBKS 2026)
| Player |
Tournament |
Matches |
Wickets |
Average |
Economy |
Strike Rate |
| Arshdeep Singh |
IPL |
82 |
97 |
26.49 |
8.99 |
17.6 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal |
IPL |
174 |
221 |
22.76 |
7.96 |
17.1 |
| Lockie Ferguson |
IPL |
49 |
51 |
30.00 |
8.97 |
20.0 |
| Harpreet Brar |
IPL |
49 |
35 |
31.00 |
8.02 |
23.1 |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak |
IPL |
16 |
17 |
33.88 |
10.37 |
19.5 |
| Yash Thakur |
IPL |
21 |
25 |
30.80 |
10.42 |
17.7 |
| Xavier Bartlett |
IPL |
4 |
2 |
48.00 |
9.60 |
30.0 |
| Praveen Dubey |
IPL |
5 |
2 |
55.50 |
8.53 |
39.0 |
| Ben Dwarshuis |
BBL |
129 |
164 |
22.13 |
8.09 |
16.3 |
- Domestic / franchise T20 reference where IPL sample unavailable.
- Arshdeep Singh anchors the pace attack across all phases
With 97 IPL wickets and a 17.6 strike rate, he remains PBKS’s primary new ball and death overs weapon.
- Yuzvendra Chahal drives middle overs wicket pressure
Yuzvendra Chahal leads the spin department and is the all-time leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 221 wickets.
- Overseas pace options expand tactical flexibility
Ferguson’s raw pace and Dwarshuis’s left arm variation give PBKS matchup adaptability based on pitch and opposition balance.
- Secondary domestic seamers provide structural depth
Vyshak and Yash Thakur strengthen squad rotation and workload management without forcing over reliance on overseas slots.
- Spin depth supports matchup driven team selection
Harpreet Brar offers defensive control while Dubey and Nishad provide situational spin coverage.
IPL 2026 Stats and Data for Your Website or App
All the IPL 2026 data shown on this blog can be used directly on your own platform whether it’s a website, app, or internal tool using Cricket API.
So instead of just reading these stats, you can actually build with them.
How do you use this data?
You integrate the APIs once, and then use the data however your product needs.
If you are a developer
You can use our APIs to build:
- Fantasy apps
- Live score widgets
- Dashboards and simulators
We already provide ball by ball data, player stats, team stats, points tables, and match data.
You focus on features and UI. We handle the data layer.
If you are doing marketing around IPL 2026
You can use live match data to run prediction and gamification campaigns.
For example (like our past clients):
“If Virat Kohli hits a six, you get 20% off.”
“If India wins the next match, cashback on your order.”
This kind of real time gamification has been used by brands like Zomato, Zepto, and FiMoney to drive millions of interactions during live matches.
You can display all IPL data in your own format:
- Points tables
- Player and team stats
- Head to head comparisons
- Match previews and reports
Instead of maintaining everything manually, your pages stay updated automatically using live data.
Same data as this blog.
Just delivered through APIs so you can turn it into products, campaigns, and traffic.
👉🏻You can explore the Indian Premier League 2026 data and API here
Frequently Asked Questions (PBKS 2026)
1. Who is the captain of PBKS in IPL 2026?
Shreyas Iyer continues as captain. He led PBKS to the IPL 2025 final and remains the core leader of the team.
2. Who is the head coach of PBKS?
Ricky Ponting is the head coach and continues to lead the team’s strategy and preparations.
3. Where is PBKS’s home ground in IPL 2026?
PBKS will play their home matches at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
4. Which players did PBKS sign in the IPL 2026 auction?
PBKS signed Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly, Praveen Dubey, and Vishal Nishad to strengthen bowling depth.
5. Why was Glenn Maxwell released?
PBKS released Maxwell to free up overseas slots and move towards a more balanced and stable squad structure.
6. Who are PBKS’s key players in IPL 2026?
Key players include Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, and Marco Jansen.
7. Who is PBKS’s main pace bowler?
Arshdeep Singh leads the pace attack with 97 IPL wickets and plays a key role in both powerplay and death overs.
8. Who leads the spin attack for PBKS?
Yuzvendra Chahal leads the spin department and is one of the highest wicket-takers in IPL history.
9. Who is a young player to watch in PBKS 2026?
Priyansh Arya is a rising opener who scored 475 runs in IPL and is expected to play a major role.
10. What is PBKS’s goal for IPL 2026?
PBKS aim to win their first IPL title after finishing as runners-up in the 2025 season.