Punjab Kings (PBKS) reached the finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time since 2014 this year. However, the maiden title continued to remain elusive. They lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who won their coveted championship for the first time.
However, Punjab must have taken a lot of heart from their performances in IPL 2025 as they achieved some great results under a new captain, Shreyas Iyer. It was impressive to see youngsters like Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh,
and Nehal Wadhera stepping up throughout the season.
Punjab Kings will know that with a few tweaks to their line-up, they can assemble an even stronger squad, which could take them the distance in the upcoming edition of the IPL next year.
3 players Punjab Kings might trade before IPL 2026 Auction:
3. Yash Thakur
Yash Thakur played nine matches in IPL 2023 and ten in IPL 2024 for Lucknow Super Giants. He bagged a four-for in IPL 2023 and a five-for in the following season. The right-arm speedster was roped in by the Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 mega-auction for INR 1.60 crore. However, he only played two matches, conceding 79 runs in 6.3 overs at an economy rate of 12.15.
The 26-year-old has broken into the India A side and will want to spend more time playing games than warming the bench. With the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Marco Jansen in the side, it will be tough for Thakur to get too many games. However, many teams could be interested in signing the youngster and giving him more chances in the playing XI.
2. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell had a homecoming in IPL 2025 as he returned to the Punjab Kings for the first time since 2020. However, this did not help him change his fortunes with the bat. Bought for INR 4.2 crore in the mega-auction, Maxwell managed to score just 48 runs in seven matches at a dismal average of eight and a poor strike rate of 97.96. He lost his place in the team mid-way through the tournament, and was eventually ruled out due to a broken finger.
The 37-year-old has had impressive performances in international cricket. However, he has not been able to carry that form into the IPL. Punjab have several star overseas players in their lineup, and Maxwell will not be able to break into the starting XI easily. Even if Punjab are unable to trade him ahead of the auction, they might release him and free up INR 4.2 crore, which could help them pick a player that could consolidate the team.
1. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis had a couple of solid seasons with the bat for Lucknow in IPL 2023 and 2024. Punjab acquired his services in the mega-auction for a whopping INR 11 crore. However, the Australian all-rounder failed to live up to his reputation. Stoinis scored just 160 runs in 13 matches at an average of 26.67. He could not register a half-century in the season for the first time since 2022. With the ball, he managed just one wicket, his lowest tally in a particular season in the cash-rich league.
Stoinis has not played too many T20Is for Australia in 2025. Punjab could be reluctant about retaining the 36-year-old, especially with younger and in-form all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai and Marco Jansen in the line-up. If they are not able to trade Stoinis, they could let him go into the auction and re-sign him for a lower price.
