PBKS would look to fill only five spots in the IPL 2026 auction.
The Punjab Kings had almost ended their 17-year-long drought to clinch the Indian Premier League trophy in the previous edition of the cash-rich league. However, after a dominating show, PBKS have retained their core and released only five players. Let’s take a look at the PBKS IPL 2026 auction targets to strengthen their squad for the forthcoming season.
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The former Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowler could be one of the PBKS target players. The 27-year-old had joined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as an injury replacement. Notably, his solitary appearance in IPL 2025 came against the Punjab outfit. With 20 scalps in as many fixtures at an economy of 8.62, the bowler holds a decent record in his four-year IPL career so far. But Chetan Sakariya has found it tough to make it to the playing XI regularly after a memorable debut stint with the Royals in 2021.
However, after including pacer Kuldeep Sen in the PBKS released players 2026 list, the team might want to acquire the Saurashtra player in their IPL 2026 squad. Additionally, the left-arm seamer might also be a backup plan for the franchise’s star pacer Arshdeep Singh.
The star English all-rounder, Liam Livingstone, could feature in PBKS IPL 2026 auction targets. He has previously represented the team in three successive seasons since IPL 2022. Livingstone had notched up 827 runs in 30 matches for Punjab at a fiery strike rate of 171.69. On the other hand, after several seasons of poor returns from the Australian big-hitter Glenn Maxwell, the franchise is on the lookout to refill the spot in the upcoming mini-auction.
The 32-year-old could be a great fit for the team’s plans, especially if he continues his blistering form in the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 League 2025. In the two initial matches of the 10-over tournament, Livingstone put up back-to-back pulsating cameos, striking at 240.00 and 192.85, respectively.
Another Indian bowler who might feature in the PBKS IPL 2026 auction targets would be Rahul Chahar. After releasing Praveen Dubey from their squad, the Punjab management may look to re-acquire their former spinner.
Earlier, the 26-year-old had bagged 32 wickets in his 36 matches for Punjab Kings across three editions since the IPL 2022. Furthermore, while many leg-spinners usually deliver expensive spells, Rahul maintained a decent economy rate of 7.72 in his eight-year IPL career so far.
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The PBKS target players could also include New Zealand youngster Bevon Jacobs. The hard-hitter was part of the five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians (MI) squad, in 2025.
The management may look to acquire him in place of the star Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis. Previously, the head coach had revealed that the release was a forced decision due to Inglis’s availability issues for the 2026 edition. However, the all-rounder is carrying on a consistent form in the domestic matches, with the latest score of 94 for Auckland in a First-Class fixture.
The team might include the South African all-rounder in the PBKS IPL 2026 auction targets as a replacement for Aaron Hardie. Earlier, he joined the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp as the injury replacement for Brydon Carse and played only one match for the franchise in the IPL 2025.
The 27-year-old has put up a promising show in the SA20 league for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) sister franchise, Durban’s Super Giants. He has scored 603 runs and snared nine wickets in 32 matches across three editions of the tournament, and could be a strong backup plan for strengthening the side’s middle-order for the IPL 2026.
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