Last season was a rollercoaster of emotions for the Punjab Kings. They played some incredible cricket and reached the finals, coming closer to lifting the trophy than they have at any point since their historic run in 2014. Unfortunately, they stumbled at the very last hurdle, leaving the fans heartbroken. But cricket moves on quickly, and PBKS is back with renewed hope.

They have kept their core strong and are looking to make just a few smart moves to finally cross the line and win their maiden title. Here is how the Punjab Kings are placed ahead of the auction.

PBKS Players released/traded out

Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey.

PBKS Players retained/traded in

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

Auction Purse and Slots

Purse remaining: INR 11.50 crore (Out of INR 125 crore)

Slots remaining: 4 (2 overseas)

2 players that could deliver Punjab their maiden IPL title

Now, after parting ways with Glenn Maxwell due to poor form and Josh Inglis due to unforeseen circumstances, the big question is: can they still battle their way to the finals again? The answer lies in how they replace those two stars.

PBKS boasts perhaps the most talented Indian core in the entire IPL. With match-winners like Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, and the exciting Priyansh Arya, the foundation is rock solid. Add to that the experience of Yuzvendra Chahal, the reliability of Harpreet Brar, and the finishing potential of Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, and you have a team that can beat anyone on its day. They don’t need to rebuild; they just need to find the right overseas partners for these stars.

To fill the void left by Inglis and Maxwell, the Kings should target two specific profiles. First, they need an explosive top-order batter. Someone like Devon Conway or the dynamic Jake Fraser-McGurk would be ideal to set the tone early in the innings.

Second, they need a versatile middle-order presence. A player like Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, or a returning Liam Livingstone could provide that crucial balance of stability and hitting power and someone who could play the role of their 6th bowler.

With only INR 11.50 crore in the purse, getting even one of these five names will be difficult, let alone two. It won’t be easy to outbid richer teams. However, if the management can plan smartly and manage their expenses well, landing just two of these impact players could be the game-changer.

These would be the perfect replacements for the foreigners they lost. If they manage to pull this off, Punjab Kings might finally have everything they need to secure that elusive maiden IPL title.