TL;DR
- Punjab Kings reached the IPL 2025 final but lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.
- PBKS released Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie before the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
- PBKS retained key players like Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
- The franchise aims for a squad overhaul and stability for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Punjab Kings nearly secured the Indian Premier League 2025 championship, making it to the final for the first time in over a decade.
The franchise faced yet another disappointment, ultimately losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a margin of six runs.
This presented an excellent chance for Captain Shreyas Iyer too, as he might have been the first skipper ever in the tournament's history to secure consecutive IPL championships (KKR in 2024) and achieve two IPL victories for separate franchises as a captain.
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PBKS aimed to retain their key players and gain financial room to pursue significant signings in the upcoming auction.
PBKS let go of players before the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
PBKS has officially submitted their retention and release documents to the IPL governing council, and the full list will be announced publicly afterward.
PBKS has undertaken significant player releases prior to the IPL 2026 mini-auction, letting go of established players such as Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie as part of a substantial squad overhaul. These decisions indicate a new strategy as the team aims to reconstruct its foundation for the forthcoming season.
| Released players (PBKS) |
|---|
| Glenn Maxwell |
| Aaron Hardie |
| Praveen Dubey |
| Kuldeep Sen |
| Josh Inglis |
MORE: IPL 2026 trade deals: Full list of player trades and cash deals ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
PBKS kept players before the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
PBKS has maintained a solid group of players leading up to the IPL 2026 mini-auction, keeping important figures such as Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Marcus Stoinis.
The franchise has prioritized stability for the upcoming season by blending seasoned athletes with emerging talent.
| Retained players (PBKS) |
|---|
| Shashank Singh |
| Prabhsimran Singh |
| Arshdeep Singh |
| Shreyas Iyer |
| Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Marcus Stoinis |
| Nehal Wadhera |
| Harpreet Brar |
| Vishnu Vinod |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak |
| Yash Thakur |
| Marco Jansen |
| Lockie Ferguson |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Harnoor Pannu |
| Priyansh Arya |
| Musheer Khan |
| Suryansh Shedge |
| Xavier Bartlett |
| Pyla Avinash |
MORE: IPL 2026 trade deals: Full list of player trades and cash deals ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
PBKS's present team following the retention cutoff
PBKS squad for IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Shashank Singh, Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Musheer Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar.
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