Punjab Kings (PBKS) are gearing up for releasing the retained and released players list ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, which is scheduled on December 15, 2025, in Abi Dhabi. Punjab Kings played exceptional cricket in the last edition of the Indian Premier League; they were defeated by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 Final.
Punjab Kings will go for some minor changes as they already have plenty of quality players, including both young talents and experienced players. PBKS are expected to release some of the players who didn’t perform well in the last season, which includes some big names.
However, PBKS are expected to retain their core. Shreyas Iyer is going to lead another season for the Punjab Kings. Arshdeep Singh, Shashank Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, and Josh Inglis are expected to be retained by the franchise. These players have consistently performed well for PBKS in the last season.
Punjab Kings Released Players 2026 [Expected]
The Players like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson, and Azmatullah Omarzai might be released by Punjab Kings to increase their purse and add more consistent and reliable players for the long term. However, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis may get another chance, but some reports say they will be released by the franchise.
The Australian star player, Glenn Maxwell, is known for his aggressive batting and fire power, but in the past season, many franchises have released him due to his inconsistent performance in the Indian Premier League. Glenn Maxwell was bought by the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 mega auction at a price of Rs. 4.2 crore.
Punjab Kings bought another Australian all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, in the IPL 2025 mega auction at a whopping price of Rs. 11 crore. Stoinis also had the same situation as Maxwell, many franchises released him due to his inconsistent performance throughout the tournament.
Punjab will try to free up their overseas slot and include better players who can seriously play for the franchise and perform consistently. However, It is expected that PBKS might target some overseas quality pacer and all-rounder in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) Retained Players 2026 [Expected]
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya.
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