Punjab Kings is one of the most exciting teams in IPL history. But the franchise has never won an IPL trophy despite having millions of fans. IPL 2025 was finally a great season for PBKS. They made the playoffs after 10 long years!
Now PBKS must keep their winning team for IPL 2026. The mini auction is coming in December, and PBKS must submit their retention list by November 15, 2025. This is the most important decision for the franchise. They need to keep their best players and build on their success.
After a breakthrough 2025 season, PBKS will likely keep 18 players who showed promise or have big potential. Let’s look at these players who will form the core of PBKS’s team for IPL 2026.
PBKS Retained Players For IPL 2026 (Predicted)
Here are the potential retained players for PBKS ahead of the 2026 auction.
| Player Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Shreyas Iyer | Captain & Batter |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler |
| Marcus Stoinis | All-Rounder |
| Shashank Singh | All-Rounder |
| Prabhsimran Singh | Wicket-Keeper Batter |
| Harpreet Brar | All-Rounder |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak | Bowler |
| Yash Thakur | Bowler |
| Marco Jansen | All-Rounder |
| Josh Inglis | Wicket-Keeper Batter |
| Lockie Ferguson | Bowler |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | All-Rounder |
| Kuldeep Sen | Bowler |
| Priyansh Arya | Batter |
| Xavier Bartlett | Bowler |
1. Shreyas Iyer (Captain & Batter)
Shreyas Iyer is perhaps the best captain in IPL right now. He led KKR to win the trophy in 2024. This year, he made sure PBKS entered the playoffs after 10 years. That is a huge achievement!
Iyer is also a very good batter who can score runs in the middle order. He knows how to build innings and win matches. His captaincy changed everything for PBKS in 2025.
Why keep him? Best captain in IPL. Led PBKS to playoffs after a decade. Strong middle-order batter.
2. Arshdeep Singh (Bowler)
Arshdeep Singh is PBKS’s best bowler. He took 21 wickets in 17 matches in IPL 2025. He was the team’s leading wicket-taker and proved his worth. PBKS paid 18 crore rupees for him, and he justified every penny.
Arshdeep is an Indian fast bowler who can bowl in the powerplay and death overs. He swings the new ball and bowls deadly yorkers. Team India also trusts him in important matches.
Why keep him? Best bowler for PBKS. 21 wickets in IPL 2025. Can bowl in any situation.
3. Marcus Stoinis (All-Rounder)
Marcus Stoinis is a powerful Australian all-rounder. He did not have his best season in 2025, but he is still a game-changer. Stoinis can hit huge sixes and bowl fast too.
On his day, Stoinis can win matches single-handedly. PBKS needs his experience and match-winning ability. He gives the team great balance.
Why keep him? Experienced match-winner. Can bat and bowl both. Game-changer on his day.
4. Shashank Singh (All-Rounder)
Shashank Singh had a fantastic IPL 2025 season. He scored three fifties and made 350 runs in 17 matches. His average was an excellent 50 runs per innings!
Shashank is an Indian all-rounder who bats in the middle order. He can also bowl some overs when needed. Having a good Indian all-rounder is very valuable for team balance.
Why keep him? Great season with 350 runs. Indian all-rounder who can finish matches.
5. Prabhsimran Singh (Wicket-Keeper Batter)
Prabhsimran Singh is an exciting young wicket-keeper batter. He scored 549 runs in 17 matches in IPL 2025. His strike rate was a blazing 160! He also hit four fifties.
Prabhsimran opens the batting and can destroy bowling attacks. His average of 32 shows he scores consistently. He also keeps wickets well behind the stumps.
Why keep him? Scored 549 runs with 160 strike rate. Young Indian wicket-keeper with huge potential.
6. Harpreet Brar (All-Rounder)
Harpreet Brar is a useful left-arm spinner and batter. He picked up 10 wickets in just 8 matches in IPL 2025. That is a very good strike rate for a bowler.
Brar was not the most economical bowler, but he took important wickets. He is also a good batter who can hit the ball hard. PBKS needs his all-round skills.
Why keep him? 10 wickets in 8 matches. Left-arm spinner who can bat too.
7. Vijaykumar Vyshak (Bowler)
Vijaykumar Vyshak did not have a great IPL 2025 season. He took only 4 wickets in 5 matches. His economy rate was high at 10.64 runs per over.
But Vyshak is still a good Indian fast bowler with talent. He had one bad season, but PBKS believes in his ability. Young Indian bowlers are very important for the team’s future.
Why keep him? Young Indian fast bowler. Can improve and become better.
8. Yash Thakur (Bowler)
Yash Thakur played only 2 matches in IPL 2025. He did not get many chances to show his talent. But he is young and can serve PBKS for many years.
PBKS wants to invest in young Indian fast bowlers. Thakur has good pace and skill. He can develop into a quality bowler with more opportunities.
Why keep him? Young Indian bowler with potential. Can serve team for many years.
9. Marco Jansen (All-Rounder)
Marco Jansen is a tall South African all-rounder. He had an excellent IPL 2025, taking 16 wickets in 14 matches. He is also a good batter who can hit big shots.
Jansen bowls left-arm fast and gets good bounce. He is dangerous with both bat and ball. His stock is rising fast in world cricket.
Why keep him? Took 16 wickets in IPL 2025. Quality all-rounder who can bat and bowl.
10. Josh Inglis (Wicket-Keeper Batter)
Josh Inglis is an Australian wicket-keeper batter. He scored 278 runs in 11 matches with an average over 30. He played a very important role for PBKS.
Inglis can open or bat in the middle order. He keeps wickets well and is a clean striker of the ball. Having a backup foreign wicket-keeper gives PBKS good options.
Why keep him? Scored 278 runs with good average. Quality wicket-keeper and batter.
11. Lockie Ferguson (Bowler)
Lockie Ferguson is one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket. He played only 4 matches in IPL 2025 because of injury. But when fit, Ferguson is a total asset.
Ferguson bowls at 150+ speed and takes wickets regularly. He is from New Zealand and has lots of experience. PBKS needs his pace and wicket-taking ability.
Why keep him? One of the fastest bowlers in cricket. Match-winner when fit.
12. Azmatullah Omarzai (All-Rounder)
Azmatullah Omarzai is one of the best all-rounders in world cricket right now. He plays for Afghanistan and is very talented. In IPL 2025, he picked up 8 wickets and also scored useful runs.
Omarzai bowls medium-fast pace and can bat in the middle order. All-rounders like him are very rare and valuable. PBKS must keep him for sure.
Why keep him? World-class all-rounder. Can bowl and bat both very well.
13. Kuldeep Sen (Bowler)
Kuldeep Sen is an Indian fast bowler with good pace. He was a bit expensive in IPL 2025, but he is a wicket-taker. Bowlers like Sen can make a big difference when they get their rhythm right.
Sen bowls fast and can trouble batters. With more opportunities, he can become a key bowler for PBKS. Indian fast bowlers are always valuable for team balance.
Why keep him? Fast Indian bowler who takes wickets. Can improve with more chances.
14. Priyansh Arya (Batter)
Priyansh Arya had an amazing first IPL season! He scored 475 runs in his debut year. At one point, he was even in the race for the Orange Cap! He hit one century and two fifties.
Arya is a young Indian batter with tremendous talent. He can open or bat in the middle order. Finding a young Indian star like Arya is every team’s dream.
Why keep him? Scored 475 runs in debut season. Young star with huge potential.
15. Xavier Bartlett (Bowler)
Xavier Bartlett is an Australian fast bowler who is making a big impact. He recently performed well in the India vs Australia ODI series. His good performances won’t go unnoticed.
Bartlett can swing the ball and take early wickets. PBKS will give him a better chance in the next season. He could become an important bowler for the team.
Why keep him? Quality Australian bowler. Recently showed great form in international cricket.
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Conclusion: PBKS Building On Success Retaining Their Core Players
After making the playoffs in IPL 2025, PBKS is making smart choices. They will keep 18 players who formed the backbone of their success. This team has the perfect mix of experience and youth.
Shreyas Iyer brings winning captaincy. Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen are proven wicket-takers. Young stars like Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are the future. All-rounders like Marcus Stoinis and Azmatullah Omarzai give great balance.
PBKS has built their team well. They have batters who can score fast, bowlers who can take wickets, and all-rounders who do both jobs. With these 18 players as the base, PBKS can buy more talent at the December auction.
The Punjab Kings are finally on the right track. With smart planning and the right additions, PBKS can win their first IPL trophy. IPL 2026 will be another exciting season for Punjab Kings!
FAQs
PBKS had a successful IPL 2025 season after 10 years. They want to keep most of the team that performed well. These 18 players either played brilliantly or have huge potential for the future. Keeping them gives PBKS a strong base while still having money to buy new talent at the auction.
Shreyas Iyer did an amazing job in his first season. He led PBKS to the playoffs after a decade. The management trusts him completely. Iyer is a proven captain who won the IPL trophy with KKR in 2024. He will definitely continue as captain for IPL 2026.
The most important players are Shreyas Iyer (captain), Arshdeep Singh (best bowler), Prabhsimran Singh (top scorer), and Priyansh Arya (young star). These four players are the backbone of the team. All-rounders like Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, and Azmatullah Omarzai are also very important for team balance.
Young players are the future of any IPL team. Indian youngsters like Priyansh Arya don’t take foreign player spots and cost less money. They can play for PBKS for 10-15 years. Arya scored 475 runs in his first season! Players like Suryansh Shedge have world-class potential. Investing in youth now will help PBKS win trophies for many years.
PBKS has excellent balance. They have a winning captain in Shreyas Iyer. They have quality Indian bowlers like Arshdeep Singh. They have foreign stars like Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson. They have exciting young talent in batting and bowling. But PBKS still needs to buy one or two more quality players at the auction.
