IPL 2026: 3 players PBKS should target in auction

Punjab Kings have only 4 slots available for IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) came close to winning their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title last season. But Shreyas Iyer’s side lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final, much to the disappointment of Shreyas and the rest of the PBKS unit.

Punjab Kings have released Australian trio Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis ahead of the auction. Inglis has made himself available for only four matches, which has proven to be a major obstacle to his potential return to PBKS.

Considering that PBKS have retained their core that reached the final last year, Iyer will look to sharpen the rough edges. Punjab will be looking to strengthen their middle-order batting ahead of the new season. On that note, let’s take a look at three players PBKS should consider targeting in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

3- Auqib Nabi Dar

29-year-old Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar has been in terrific form with the ball this year. Auqib will relish bowling in Chandigarh, which tends to help the pacers in the early part of the game, especially in the first half of the season. Jammu and Kashmir pacer can swing the ball at a decent pace and will form a good partnership with Arshdeep Singh.

The 29-year-old picked 15 wickets from seven games in the recently held Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. Auqib has played a total of 34 T20 matches and picked 43 wickets so far. With the bat, the 29-year-old has scored 141 runs with a strike rate of 106.

2- Salil Arora

Another relatively unknown name that is being discussed ahead of the IPL 2026 auction is that of local boy Salil Arora. The 23-year-old has made a decent impact since his T20 debut for Punjab last season. Salil is a destructive middle-order batter with a penchant for big hits and is also a more than capable wicketkeeper.

Salil has played a total of six T20 games so far, scoring 142 runs with a strike rate of 165. The 23-year-old could very well do the job that Jitesh Sharma did for RCB last season, especially during the latter half of the season.

1- Finn Allen

New Zealand star Finn Allen has taken the world by storm with his aggressive batting in the T20 format this year. The 26-year-old could be the ideal replacement for Josh Inglis next season. Finn can open the batting and can also be slotted at number three, where he could do plenty of damage.

The Kiwi batter was part of the RCB unit a few seasons ago, but wasn’t given any game time. With 1285 runs from 52 matches with a strike rate of 163, Finn Allen will be a huge addition to the Punjab Kings’ side. Such reinforcements could make Punjab one of the top favourites to win the IPL 2026 crown.

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