Punjab Kings came very close to winning the Indian Premier League 2025 title as they reached the final for the first time in 11 years.
Unfortunately, yet another heartbreak was waiting for the franchise as they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs in the end.
It was an ideal opportunity for captain Shreyas Iyer as well, as he could have become the first captain in the history of the tournament to win back-to-back IPL titles (KKR in 2024) as skipper and two IPL titles for two different franchises as captain.
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PBKSs, of course, looked to preserve their core while freeing up financial flexibility to chase high-impact players at the upcoming auction.
PBKS released players ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction
PBKS officially submitted their official retention and release documents to the IPL governing council, after which, the complete list will has been publicly announced.
PBKS have made some notable cuts ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, releasing senior names like Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie as part of a major squad reset. The moves signal a fresh approach as the franchise looks to rebuild its core for the upcoming 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 retained players ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction
PBKS have held on to a strong core ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, retaining key names like Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Marcus Stoinis.
With a balanced mix of experienced performers and promising youngsters, the franchise has kept stability at the heart of its plans for the new season.
| 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 current squad after retention deadline
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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