Punjab Kings team management at Tata IPL Auction. Photo Credit: BCCI/IPL Photo
Punjab Kings approached the IPL 2026 auction with a lot of confidence following their impressive journey to the finals in 2025. They did not rebuild their squad from scratch. Instead PBKS focused on a few smart signings and filled only the gaps while keeping their strong core intact. Even though their purse was tight, the team demonstrated solid planning by enhancing their depth and balance without upsetting the team’s chemistry.
Photo Credit: BCCI/IPL Photo
Auction Overview
| Category | Details |
| Auction Date | 16 December 2025 (Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi) |
| Total Purse (₹) | 125 crore |
| Amount Spent (₹) | 121.5 crore |
| Amount Remaining (₹) | 3.5 crore |
| RTM Remaining | 0 (no Right-to-Match cards left) |
| Total Players in Squad | 25 (full squad) |
| Overseas Players | 8 (maximum allowed) |
| Biggest Buy | Ben Dwarshuis – ₹4.4 crore (Australia, All-rounder) |
Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the IPL 2026 auction with a budget of ₹11.5 crore and four positions to fill. They allocated ₹8 crore during the accelerated rounds to complete a squad of 25 players which left them with ₹3.5 crore remaining. Rather than pursuing high-profile signings, the franchise concentrated on adding players for specific roles with all-rounder Ben Dwarshuis being their most significant acquisition at ₹4.4 crore.
Players Bought at Auction: IPL 2026
| Player | Role | Base Price (₹) | Final Bid (₹) |
| Cooper Connolly (Overseas) | All-rounder | 2 crore | 3 crore |
| Ben Dwarshuis (Overseas) | All-rounder | 1 crore | 4.4 crore |
| Praveen Dubey | Bowler | 30 lakh | 30 lakh |
| Vishal Nishad | Bowler | 30 lakh | 30 lakh |
Punjab Kings made a strong statement in IPL 2026 by signing Australian all-rounder Ben Dwarshuis for ₹4.4 crore, marking him as their top acquisition. This addition boosts their pace depth and enhances their lower-order hitting. They also brought in young Aussie Cooper Connolly to serve as a middle-order finisher. Additionally, they secured Praveen Dubey and Vishal Nishad at the base price to reinforce their spin and wicketkeeping options.
Players Retained Before Auction: IPL 2026
| Player | Role | Salary (₹) |
| Shreyas Iyer | Batter | 26.75 crore |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler | 18 crore |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Bowler | 18 crore |
| Marcus Stoinis (Overseas) | All-rounder | 11 crore |
| Marco Jansen (Overseas) | All-rounder | 7 crore |
| Shashank Singh | Batter | 5.5 crore |
| Nehal Wadhera | Batter | 4.2 crore |
| Prabhsimran Singh | Wicketkeeper | 4 crore |
| Priyansh Arya | Batter | 3.8 crore |
| Mitchell Owen (Overseas) | All-rounder | 3 crore |
| Azmatullah Omarzai (Overseas) | All-rounder | 2.4 crore |
| Lockie Ferguson (Overseas) | Bowler | 2 crore |
| Harpreet Brar | Bowler | 1.5 crore |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak | Bowler | 1.8 crore |
| Yash Thakur | Bowler | 1.6 crore |
| Vishnu Vinod | Wicket-keeper | 95 lakh |
| Xavier Bartlett (Overseas) | Bowler | 80 lakh |
| Harnoor Singh | Batter | 30 lakh |
| Musheer Khan | All-rounder | 30 lakh |
| Pyla Avinash | Batter | 30 lakh |
| Suryansh Shedge | All-rounder | 30 lakh |
Before the IPL 2026 auction, PBKS revealed their final retention list, showing confidence in 21 players including 17 Indians and 8 overseas stars. At the forefront of the retained players is captain Shreyas Iyer supported by star bowler Arshdeep Singh and spin wizard Yuzvendra Chahal. The overseas contingent includes Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen and Lockie Ferguson while local talents such as Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, and Musheer Khan provide additional strength.
