Punjab Kings threw away the second half of their IPL 2026 campaign. The bowling attack routinely bled over 200 runs. Head coach Ricky Ponting assembled
a squad that looked formidable on paper.
On the actual grass, key players collapsed under pressure. Fixing this mess requires a brutal squad overhaul. Management must free up salary cap space before the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Dropping heavy contracts remains the quickest way to restock the roster with proven match-winners. Here are five players Punjab Kings are highly likely to release.
Marcus Stoinis
Big overseas all-rounders carry massive price tags. Marcus Stoinis cost the franchise ₹11 crore but delivered entirely forgettable numbers. He smashed just over 200 runs at a modest average of 22.77 and a sluggish strike rate of 137.58. His bowling was equally ineffective. He managed only two wickets across four bowling innings, averaging an expensive 49. Management completely lost patience and dropped him mid-season. Releasing the Australian frees up a massive ₹11 crore chunk. PBKS scouts can utilize that exact budget to secure multiple high-impact foreign targets when the bidding starts.
Nehal Wadhera
The former Mumbai Indians batter was supposed to anchor the Punjab middle order. He enjoyed a stellar 2025 season, scoring 369 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 145.84. The 2026 campaign told a completely different story. Wadhera failed terribly. He managed only 65 runs in six innings. His average crashed to 10.83. His strike rate dropped to 114.03. Carrying a ₹4.20 crore domestic contract for those returns hurts the team budget. PBKS might release him to find a proven performer, or possibly attempt to buy him back at a drastically reduced base price.
Lockie Ferguson
Ricky Ponting publicly praised Lockie Ferguson's raw pace before the tournament began. The reality on the pitch was a disaster. Ferguson missed the opening stretch of games due to personal reasons. Once he finally joined the squad, his form looked completely broken. The Kiwi speedster played just three matches. He picked up exactly one wicket at an absurd average of 141. Worse still, his economy rate touched nearly 13 runs an over. Dumping this ₹2 crore contract is an easy decision for a franchise desperate for bowling discipline.
Shashank Singh
Catches win matches. Shashank Singh dropped far too many. His butter-fingers in the outfield cost Punjab dearly throughout the 2026 campaign. Poor fielding alone justifies an axe. His batting also left him at crucial times. After crossing the 350-run mark in two consecutive previous editions, Shashank managed only 132 runs in nine innings. Averaging just 22 with a solitary half-century does not justify a ₹5.50 crore retention. Freeing up that money gives Punjab serious financial leverage at the auction table.
Ben Dwarshuis
Left-arm pacers usually bring unique angles and control. Ben Dwarshuis brought neither. Retaining him locks up ₹4.40 crore. PBKS barely used him this past season. During his sole appearance against the Mumbai Indians, the Australian looked entirely raw and completely out of his depth. He leaked 51 runs in his four-over spell, managing just one wicket, hence he is someone who may well be discarded as well.
