Punjab Kings (PBKS) have finalised their list of retained and released players on Saturday, November 15. With the 2026 PBKS retention list out, there is an active debate on who deserves to stay with the side or face the axe ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction. After emerging as the runner-up in the 2025 edition, the team management has bestowed trust on the majority of their players, as they retained the most players (21) among all the franchises. However, there have been some players who didn’t fit into the team’s plans and ran out of luck due to bad form. Let’s take a look at the list of retained players and surprise decisions by the Punjab-based franchise.

2026 PBKS Retained Players Overview

Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS had a dream season in 2025, as they finished at the top of the table in the league stage with nine wins in 14 games. Although PBKS sustained a loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final, they had the best-ever finish to a season after 2014. It was mainly due to their swashbuckling trio of Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, and Iyer, who are all retained.

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Dream begins here 🤞🦁#PunjabKings #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/zmnVCQy4qB

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) November 15, 2025

Meanwhile, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Marcus Stoinis played their part perfectly to help the team in setting up big scores on the board. As a result, they will stay with the franchise for the 2026 season as well. On the bowling front, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, and Marco Jansen showcased impressive performances and will hope to continue their consistent performances.

𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫! ❤️#PunjabKings #IPLRetention pic.twitter.com/7oLixtHpFc

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) November 15, 2025

The most notable omission from the squad was all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who struggled in IPL 2025, scoring only 48 runs in six innings, while also taking four wickets. After sustaining a finger injury, he was replaced by Mitchell Owen midway through the season.

2026 PBKS Retained Players List: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod.

2026 PBKS Released Players List: Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey.

Surprising Release from PBKS

A shocking release from the Shreyas Iyer-led side came in the form of keeper-batter, Josh Inglis, who has seen his stature grow due to his impressive performances in the Big Bash League and international cricket. Inglis did well to contribute 278 runs in 11 games in IPL 2025 at a sublime strike rate of 162.57, with a top score of 73. PBKS got him for INR 2.6 crore, which was a steal, as he has been a consistent performer in T20S. However, with his release, the team will look to find a reliable middle-order batter.

Surprising Names Among 2026 PBKS Retained Players List

Lockie Ferguson

Due to his raw pace and variations, Lockie Ferguson has been able to convince the team management to include him in the 2026 PBKS retention list. Ferguson played four games in IPL 2025 and picked five wickets before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the season. It was the third time since November 2024 that the New Zealand international was forced to take a sabbatical due to injury. Moreover, Ferguson hasn’t played any competitive cricket since The Hundred 2025 in August, where he picked seven wickets in eight appearances. It will be interesting to see if he can find some form and remain fit in the upcoming tournaments ahead of the IPL 2026.

Suryansh Shedge

The young all-rounder made it to the 2026 PBKS retained players list despite his underwhelming performance in the last season. Although he was part of five games, Shedge bowled three overs and conceded 40 runs. Known for his batting exploits, he scored only seven runs in three innings. In the recently concluded List-A series against Australia, Suryansh Shedge scored only 10 runs and returned wicketless.

3 Players PBKS Can Target in IPL 2026 Auction

After the announcement of the 2026 PBKS retention List, the franchise is left with INR 11.50 crore for the mini-auction. With an almost perfect squad though, they could still target these players in the mini auction.

#1 Cameron Green

The prime target for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 mini-auction should be Cameron Green, who is expected to generate significant interest from a few of the franchises. In 29 IPL games, he has scored 707 runs at an average of 41.58 and also has 16 wickets. During the 2023 season with the Mumbai Indians, he also produced his best knock of 100* against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Moreover, Green has returned to bowling after recovering from his back injury and is a definite pick for PBKS to bolster their squad.

#2 Michael Bracewell

With the release of Glenn Maxwell, PBKS have a vacancy for an all-rounder, who could be a handy spin option as well. With 3,455 runs and 96 wickets in T20s, Michael Bracewell has built a solid reputation and could be included in the team’s roster.

#3 David Miller

The Lucknow Super Giants parted ways with one of the most experienced middle-order batters, David Miller, due to his mediocre performances in the 2025 edition. In 11 games, the southpaw scored 153 runs at an average of 30.60, including six not-outs. However, Miller could revive his IPL career with PBKS, where he has spent eight years and scored 1,850 runs in 77 innings.