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Punjab Kings came as close as ever to that elusive IPL title in 2025. After years of mediocrity, last year, under the shrewd hands of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer, they looked professional and clear of their identity. Finishing top of the table in the group stage, winning nine games in 14, and having among the most healthy net run-rates doesn’t happen because of only a few good players. They had a proper, balanced squad that needs no major overhaul for the 2026 season, but only fine-tuning. Ahead of the retention announcement deadline for IPL franchises, let’s look at some of the players PBKS can release to free enough budget to make those ‘final piece of the puzzle’ signings they need. They can, and probably will, release many more but we’d only focus on the five biggest names. Lockie Ferguson This is an easy sell. Lockie Ferguson is no doubt one of the best pacers in the T20 format: he has excellent variations, a mean yorker, and can lead attacks singlehandedly. He was excellent for PBKS last season, taking five wickets in four matches at an average of just over 20. However, a serious injury ruled him out, and his mid-season replacement, Kyle Jamieson, took some time to get used to. Ferguson has always had injury problems, and at 34 years of age, it’s difficult to rely on him. As Jamieson and Vijay Kumar Vyshak eventually stepped up and performed well, PBKS should feel confident in letting Ferguson go and using that Rs. 2 crore to pick a new, more prime-age prospect. Suryansh Shedge Speaking of prospects, there was a ton of excitement when PBKS signed Rs. 30 lakhs. He came with a reputation as a big hitter and felt like someone who could take the tournament by storm. However, it didn’t quite work out for him, with the 22-year-old managing only seven runs in three innings. It won’t be harsh to release him now; he probably needs a bit more time to develop and justify his potential. Every rupee counts, and there would be more developed hitters that PBKS could get for that money to enhance their batting reserves this year. Azmatullah Omarzai For the price of Rs. 2.40 crore, Omarzai did decently well. He took eight wickets in as many innings and scored 57 runs in five innings. The Afghan pace all-rounder brings obvious skills to the table with his ability to swing the new ball and hit big in the middle and lower order to lead recovery from collapses. He has shown this several times in international cricket — but the same skills fall a bit on the flat tracks of the IPL. The one thing PBKS need the most is an all-rounder revamp. They have excellent top-order batters and equally good specialist bowlers — but adding pure match-winning all-rounders will need letting go of the existing ones. Omarzai could benefit from going to a team like the Chennai Super Kings, too. Marcus Stoinis With Stoinis, just like Omarzai, there’s no doubt about abilities. The Australian all-rounder is still one of the best in the business and was a match-winner for PBKS last season. However, his returns lacked consistency for someone signed for Rs. 11 crore. A few good performances were enough in a well-oiled team of the last season, but even his compatriot Ponting would feel that the money can be used better. Releasing him seems the best option. If PBKS can’t trade or sign a better all-rounder for cheap, there’s a good chance that Stoinis won’t go back to that high a price either. Glenn Maxwell This is as obvious as it would be heartbreaking for some PBKS fans. Since those early highs of the 2010s, it hasn’t worked out for Maxwell and Punjab. They splurged Rs. 4.20 crore on him last season, but he contributed only 48 runs and four wickets before being dropped. The Aussie is as big as superstars come, but if the team is serious about winning its first title, this should be a good time to move on. This should give them more than enough wiggle room to fill the all-rounder gaps and even add some important depth elsewhere. Punjab Kings IPL 2025 squad: Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai and Kyle Jamieson (replacement player).
