Punjab Kings
At a Glance
| IPL Titles | 0 — Never won in 18 seasons (longest active title drought) |
| Captain | Shreyas Iyer (₹26.75 Cr — biggest Indian player contract) |
| Head Coach | Ricky Ponting | Spin Coach: Sairaj Bahutule (NEW) |
| Home Ground | MYS International Stadium, Mullanpur (NEW) + HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala |
| Owner | Mohit Burman (46%), Ness Wadia (23%), Preity Zinta (23%), Karan Paul |
| Colors | Red and Silver/White |
| Founded | 2008 as Kings XI Punjab | Rebranded February 2021 |
| 2025 Finish | Runners-up — Lost the final to RCB by 6 runs. Topped the league table. |
The Big Picture
Punjab Kings fans have been saying “this is the year” for 18 seasons. And for the first time, there is genuine, evidence-based reason to believe it. Under Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, PBKS topped the 2025 league table for the first time in franchise history and reached the final — only to lose a six-run thriller to RCB. They retained 21 players — more than any other franchise. They have momentum, a settled squad, and a coach in Ponting who has already transformed their identity. If not now, when?
The Story So Far: History and Heritage
Founded in 2008 as Kings XI Punjab for $76 million, the franchise has operated under a four-person ownership structure featuring Mohit Burman, industrialist Ness Wadia, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, and Karan Paul. Despite their passionate Punjabi fanbase and some outstanding individual performances, they are one of only two original franchises — alongside DC — never to have lifted the IPL trophy.
Their record is full of tantalising near-misses. They topped the league table in 2014 and reached their first final that year, losing to KKR. They finished 9th in 2024. Then, with Ricky Ponting’s coaching transforming the franchise’s approach and Shreyas Iyer bringing tactical clarity to the batting, they produced one of 2025’s great storylines — topping the table and reaching a final that was decided by the finest of margins.
Notable records: PBKS hold the IPL record for the highest successful run chase — 262 for 2 against KKR in 2024. Yuzvendra Chahal took a hat-trick against CSK in 2025. Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 61 in the 2025 final, nearly pulling off an extraordinary chase, became one of that season’s most celebrated innings.
Home Advantage: Venue Intelligence
PBKS play at two venues in 2026: the brand-new Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) — their primary new home — hosts 4 matches, while the iconic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala hosts 3.
The Mullanpur stadium, established in 2024, is flat and high-scoring — par scores of 180-200 are typical, with short square boundaries that assist aggressive batting. Its compact, fortress-like design with sharply rising tiers traps crowd noise inside, creating intense pressure on visiting teams. It hosted its first Men’s T20I (India vs South Africa) in December 2025. Dharamsala, nestled in the Himalayas, is one of cricket’s most scenic venues — a slightly cooler, slower surface where pace bowlers with accuracy thrive.
IPL 2026 Squad
Captain: Shreyas Iyer (₹26.75 Cr — biggest Indian player contract)
Head Coach: Ricky Ponting | Spin Coach: Sairaj Bahutule (NEW)
Players to Watch in IPL 2026
Arshdeep Singh — Took 21 wickets in IPL 2025 and is India’s premier left-arm death bowler. His ability to swing the ball early and execute precise yorkers in the final overs makes him invaluable.
Shreyas Iyer — The ₹26.75 crore captain must justify his price tag with consistent match-winning performances. His ability to play spin, accelerate in the death, and lead calmly under pressure is proven.
Marco Jansen — The tall South African left-armer provides bounce and awkward angles that trouble every batter. His ability to operate at the death adds another high-quality option alongside Arshdeep.
Yuzvendra Chahal — A hat-trick against CSK in 2025 and a career spanning 18 IPL seasons makes Chahal a match-winning wicket-taker whenever conditions suit.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Squad continuity is the single biggest advantage — 21 retained players means PBKS enter 2026 with the most settled and battle-hardened combination in the tournament.
- Arshdeep Singh is India’s best death bowler in white-ball cricket. His powerplay and death-over capabilities give PBKS a bowling cornerstone.
- Ricky Ponting has already proven he can transform a franchise’s culture and performances — the 2025 league-table-topping run is his finest coaching achievement.
- The Australian overseas contingent (Stoinis, Jansen, Ferguson, Bartlett, Owen, Dwarshuis) gives PBKS unusual depth and versatility.
Weaknesses
- Despite back-to-back finals appearances in franchise history (2014, 2025), PBKS have lost both — a pattern of falling short in the biggest moments that must be consciously addressed.
- There is no proven Indian pace bowler beyond Arshdeep — if he has an off night or is unavailable, the bowling becomes vulnerable.
- The middle-order depth behind Iyer and Stoinis is thin — if both fail early in an innings, the batting stalls.
- The psychological weight of 18 trophy-less years is real, even if it shouldn’t be — and it compounds in the biggest matches.
The Key Battle
Shreyas Iyer’s ability to deliver in the matches that matter most is the central question of PBKS’s campaign. His price tag — ₹26.75 crore, the highest ever paid for an Indian player at auction — demands not just consistency but match-winning performances in finals, semi-finals, and eliminators. He has produced in league-stage cricket. Now PBKS need him to produce when the season is on the line.
Our Verdict: How Far Can They Go?
Squad continuity, Arshdeep’s excellence, Ponting’s coaching, and the genuine hunger that comes from being runners-up makes PBKS one of the most compelling title candidates. The curse has to break at some point. IPL 2026 may be when it finally does.