PBKS' strongest playing XI for IPL 2026

Ben Dwarshius was PBKS’ most expensive buy in the auction.

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) mini-auction concluded in Abu Dhabi on December 16 with 369 players in the pool and all franchises scrambling to fill their remaining slots.

Teams often come to the auction looking to fill their gaps and make aggressive moves, but the Punjab Kings came with a clear philosophy: stick with what’s working. Kings entered with ₹11.50 crore, the second-lowest purse among all ten franchises.

Despite a low purse, they bought some young and talented players in the auction. On that note, let’s take a look at the strongest playing XI of the Punjab Kings for IPL 2026.

PBKS’ picks in the mini-auction

Punjab Kings‘ strategy was all about patience. They sat quietly through the early rounds, watching other teams spend big, before finally making their move in the accelerated round.

Their first acquisition was Australian batting all-rounder Cooper Connolly, who they bought for ₹3 crore after a brief bidding war with Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler has already played ODI and T20I for Australia.

Later in the auction, they turned their attention to pace reinforcement, picking up fellow Australian Ben Dwarshuis for ₹4.4 crore.

To round off their shopping, PBKS added domestic spin options with Pravin Dubey at ₹30 lakh and uncapped pacer Vishal Nishad.

The franchises’ approach made sense given their circumstances. After releasing high-profile names like Glenn Maxwell, who struggled with form and injury in 2025, and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, they retained the core that took them to the final.

What could be PBKS’ playing XI?

The Kings now have a team that finally seems to be exactly what they wanted for IPL 2026. They are really going to need their top order to fire. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are looking like a match made in heaven for opening duties, with the skipper, Shreyas Iyer, bringing a bit of solidity to proceedings at No. 3.

That middle order is looking like a force to be reckoned with, with the likes of Mitchell Owen expected to make big runs at No. 4. On the other hand, young gun Nehal Wadhera and experienced Marcus Stoinis slot in at No. 5 and 6, respectively.

Reliable Shashank Singh takes his place at No. 7, and Marco Jansen at No. 8 adds a bit of everything to the mix. Then there’s the dynamic Harpreet Brar coming in at No. 9.

Meanwhile, the bowling attack is going to be a big point of focus – a devastating Arshdeep Singh at the top of the order, and either Lockie Ferguson or new recruit Ben Dwarshuis waiting in the wings to provide cover for him, and Yuzvendra Chahal will round off the playing XI

Strongest Playing XI of Punjab Kings:-

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Mitchell Owen, Nehel Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson.

Impact Player option: Yuzvendra Chahal.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.