Not Shreyas Iyer! THIS all-rounder set to bat at No.3 for PBKS in IPL 2026
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
Shreyas Iyer will lead Punjab Kings in IPL 2026.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) will start their journey in Indian Premier League 2026 with the match against Gujarat Titans (GT). Both sides will clash on March 31 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Shreyas Iyer will captain PBKS in IPL 2026, where they will aim for their maiden trophy. Last season, they gave a spectacular performance and finished at the top spot in the points table after the league stage. However, they lost Qualifier 1 and the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and ended as runners-up.
Notably, PBKS releasedJosh Inglis from their squad ahead of IPL 2026 as he was not available for the entire season. Inglis batted at number three for PBKS last season.
After his ouster, PBKS will need a strong number three batter. Although Iyer also has good experience to bat at No.3, he is not going to take that position in 2026 IPL.
Cooper Connolly to bat at number three for PBKS in Indian Premier League 2026
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Cooper Connolly is likely to bat at number three for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. The batting all-rounder from Australia, who bowls left-arm orthodox spin, however, will not bowl in the initial part of the tournament.
Cricket Australia’s (CA) medical team has asked him to refrain from bowling in the initial part of the tournament. Therefore, he will play as a specialist batter until the end of April.
Connolly will make his debut in IPL 2026. He was bought by Punjab for INR 3 crore in the mini-auction. The batting all-rounder has played eight ODIs for Australia so far, in which he has scored 94 runs and picked six wickets. In 11 T20Is, he has mustered 28 runs and clinched three wickets.
Earlier this year, he scored two back-to-back half-centuries in Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26. He also took 13 wickets in the league and was also part of Australia’s squad in T20 World Cup 2026.
Who is likely to bat at No.3 for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026?
Cooper Connoly is likely to bat at No.3 for Punjab Kings.
Who will captain PBKS in IPL 2026?
Shreyas Iyer will lead PBKS in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.