IPL 2026 Release And Retention List: Players Likely To Be Left Out By Punjab Kings

Last season's runners-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) will aim to put their best foot forward as the player retention deadline gets closer. In three days from now, the franchises will be submitting the final list, and the pressure will also be on PBKS as there will be a lot of expectations from the side in the Indian Premier League 2026 season. Under the leadership of new captain Shreyas Iyer, a spirited PBKS suffered a six-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, missing their maiden title by a narrow margin.

As PBKS aim to rebuild, the likes of Iyer, experienced and star pacer Arshdeep Singh, swashbuckling batter Shashank Singh, and star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will continue to form the core. All the players impressed with their individual performances last season. Iyer was the side's top scorer with 604 runs to his name, while Arshdeep and Chahal were the team's top wicket-takers in the fast bowling and spin departments, respectively. Shashank played a crucial role for PBKS with his unbelievable finishing abilities.

The likes of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, who also shone with their performances in IPL 2025, will also find a place in the team. While the wicketkeeper-batter improved his consistency at the top, left-handed Priyansh became the talk of the town with his fearless approach as an opener.

What PBKS might be contemplating is the contribution of Glenn Maxwell. Barring a couple of seasons, he has failed to play to his true potential. Marcus Stoinis is another player whom PBKS bought for a whopping price, but the return on investment was really low. Notably, PBKS bagged the services of the star all-rounder for INR 11 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. They might try to release the player and fetch him in the bidding war again. The franchise also might be interested in releasing Aaron Hardie and Musheer Khan. While overseas player Hardie was left unused last season, Musheer could play just one game for the franchise.

PBKS' probable squad for IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya, Praveen Dubey, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Lockie Ferguson.

PBKS' probable list of players to be released: Harnoor Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket Punjab Kings IPL 2026 Shreyas Iyer Priyansh Arya Arshdeep Singh Marcus Stoinis Glenn Maxwell