As the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is set to get underway on March 28 in Bengaluru, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are gearing up to turn last season’s heartbreak into extra motivation to finally lift the trophy this season. Shreyas Iyer’s team missed the trophy to RCB last season, but now they are hungrier and more settled for the upcoming IPL 2026.
3 Players could power PBKS to IPL 2026 glory
Shreyas Iyer is once again expected to lead the Punjab Kings strongly in this season as well. But this time, the franchise is now looking more dangerous than ever, and they may not just depend on their captain having several explosive players at their disposal.
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They have the fearless young sensation Priyansh Arya, the silent match-winner Marco Jansen, and the powerplay destroyer Prabhsimran Singh, who can be the real match-winners for the PBKS this season. They will kick off their 2026 season against the Gujarat Titans on March 31 in New Chandigarh.
Priyansh Arya
Priyansh Arya was one of the biggest surprise packages of the last season. The young opener played fearless cricket and put pressure on bowlers from the start to give Punjab flying starts. His aggressive style helped PBKS dominate the power play last season.
Arya has already shown that he can deliver under pressure, and if he manages to attack from the start, he can be dangerous for all his opponents. In his breakout debut season, the young opener amassed 475 runs in 17 innings at a stunning strike rate of nearly 180.
Marco Jansen
Marco Jansen is the kind of player whom every team wants in the playing XI. He is not always in the headlines, but his impact is massive. With his height and bounce, the South African sensation becomes very dangerous with the new ball.
Jansen can break the opposition’s momentum at the early stage of the game. And most importantly, he is also a handy batter in the lower order, which makes him a complete package for the PBKS.
PBKS will be depending on the all-rounder in tough situations, especially with the ball. Notably, the left-arm pacer has taken 36 wickets and amassed 141 runs in 35 IPL games so far.
Prabhsimran Singh
Prabhsimran Singh is another key player for the franchise. The aggressive opening batter can take the game away in the power play itself. His attacking batting helps Punjab to put pressure on the rival teams right from the start of the match.
The wicketkeeper-batter is equally strong against fast bowlers and spinners, which makes him a very dangerous asset for the Punjab franchise. The team is expecting him to provide the perfect middle-order platform to build on in the upcoming season.
Prabhsimran has so far played 51 matches for Punjab Kings since 2019. His best season was 2025, when he scored 549 runs and finished among the top run-scorers of the tournament. Overall, he has 1,305 runs at an impressive strike rate of around 152 to his name in the IPL.
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