Punjab Kings
PBKS is one of the original franchises in the Indian Premier League. The team was started in 2008 when the IPL began. Punjab Kings have had mixed success in the IPL.
Owned by: K.P.H. Dream Cricket Private Limited.
Team operations and management: Ashish Tuli (General Manager) and Vikram Hastir (Team Manager)
Home ground: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
Coaching staff of Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings have built a strong coaching team for IPL 2026. The team is led by Ricky Ponting. The staff is focused on continuing their winning mindset. They are ready to push the team to finally secure their first IPL title.
Head Coach: Ricky Ponting
Bowling Coach: James Hopes
Assistant Coach: Brad Haddin
Spin Coach: Sairaj Bahutule
Fielding Coach: Brad Hodge
Physiotherapist: Andrew Leipus
Punjab Kings Team Identity & Visuals
Team Colors
Punjab Kings continue to use their classic red and blue team colours.
The red represents the strong spirit of Punjab.
The deep blue colour stands for discipline during high-pressure situations.
Symbols and Logo:
Punjab Kings’ main symbol is the Lion. It represents fearless cricket.
The team introduced diamond patterns as a new design element in 2026. It shows the hard work the team went through over the seasons.
Nicknames & Fan Base
The team is officially known as the "Sher Squad." It has a huge following in North India.
Punjab Kings carry about 17 million followers on social media.
Key Partners of Punjab Kings
The team has secured some commercial partnerships:
Title Sponsor: CP PLUS
Principal Sponsors: Reliance Jio and Kent RO Systems
Kit Partner: SIX5SIX
Name change of Punjab Kings
The team was originally called Kings XI Punjab when the franchise was founded in 2008. The name represented a wider region which included Kashmir, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. It wasn’t just Punjab but the overall regions. The team used this name for 13 seasons from 2008 to 2020.
The franchise changed its name to Punjab Kings with a new logo on 17 February 2021. Ness Wadia explained that the change was meant to give the team a fresh start after years of inconsistent results. The idea for rebranding had actually been planned around 2019, but was delayed due to COVID-19.
Performance and Records by Punjab Kings
Shaun Marsh became the first-ever IPL Orange Cap winner with 616 runs in the 2008 season. PBKS reached the semi-finals in their debut season.
Punjab Kings recorded their first Super Over win against CSK in 2010.
Mandeep Singh emerged as a breakout star with 432 runs during the 2012 IPL season.
KL Rahul hit the fastest IPL fifty off 14 balls in 2018. Andrew Tye won the Purple Cap.
KL Rahul won the Orange Cap with 670 runs in the 2020 season. He scored 132 plus runs for punjab kings.
The franchise rebranded from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings in 2021.
Liam Livingstone had a breakout season with a 182+ strike rate in 2022 while playing for punjab kings.
Shikhar Dhawan led the team with 373 runs as captain in the 2023 season.
PBKS completed a record-breaking 261 runs in 2024. It was against KKR.
Shreyas Iyer led PBKS to the top of the table in 2025.
| Season | Captain | Most Runs | Most Wickets | Player Achievements | Results |
| 2025 | Shreyas Iyer | Shreyas Iyer (604) | Arshdeep Singh (21) | Shreyas Iyer: Topped 600 runs | Runners-Up |
| 2024 | Shikhar Dhawan / Sam Curran | Shashank Singh (354) | Harshal Patel (24) | Harshal Patel: Purple Cap | League Stage |
| 2023 | Shikhar Dhawan | Shikhar Dhawan (373) | Arshdeep Singh (17) | Prabhsimran Singh: Maiden 100 | League Stage |
| 2022 | Mayank Agarwal | Shikhar Dhawan (460) | Kagiso Rabada (23) | Kagiso Rabada: Most wkts for PBKS | League Stage |
| 2021 | KL Rahul | KL Rahul (626) | Mohammed Shami (19) | KL Rahul: 30 sixes in season | League Stage |
| 2020 | KL Rahul | KL Rahul (670) | Mohammed Shami (20) | KL Rahul: Orange Cap | League Stage |
| 2019 | R. Ashwin | KL Rahul (593) | Mohammed Shami (19) | KL Rahul: Fastest IPL 50 (14 balls) | League Stage |
| 2018 | R. Ashwin | KL Rahul (659) | Andrew Tye (24) | Andrew Tye: Purple Cap | League Stage |
| 2017 | Glenn Maxwell | Hashim Amla (420) | Sandeep Sharma (17) | Hashim Amla: Two 100s in 1 season | League Stage |
| 2016 | David Miller / Murali Vijay | Murali Vijay (453) | Sandeep Sharma (15) | Axar Patel: Hat-trick vs GL | League Stage |
| 2015 | George Bailey | David Miller (357) | Anureet Singh (15) | Sandeep Sharma: Best economy | League Stage |
| 2014 | George Bailey | Glenn Maxwell (552) | Sandeep Sharma (18) | Akshar Patel: Emerging Player | Runners-Up |
| 2013 | Adam Gilchrist | David Miller (418) | Parvinder Awana (15) | David Miller: 101* (38 balls) | League Stage |
| 2012 | Adam Gilchrist / David Hussey | Mandeep Singh (432) | Parvinder Awana (17) | Mandeep Singh: Emerging Player | League Stage |
| 2011 | Adam Gilchrist | Shaun Marsh (504) | Piyush Chawla (16) | Gilchrist & Marsh: 206 partnership | League Stage |
| 2010 | Kumar Sangakkara | M. Jayawardene (439) | Irfan Pathan (15) | Mahela Jayawardene: 110* vs KKR | League Stage |
| 2009 | Yuvraj Singh | Yuvraj Singh (340) | Irfan Pathan (17) | Yuvraj Singh: Two Hat-tricks | League Stage |
| 2008 | Yuvraj Singh | Shaun Marsh (616) | S. Sreesanth (19) | Shaun Marsh: Orange Cap | Semi-Finals |
The IPL history of punjab kings
The Early Years (2008-2010)
Their debut season in 2008 was actually quite promising. But the Punjab Kings were knocked out in the semi-finals by the Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets. After that, the two years were really stressful for the team. There were ups and downs for the franchise during these years. The 2010 season is considered their worst in the early era.
The Middle Period (2011-2013)
Adam Gilchrist took over as captain in 2011 with Michael Bevan as coach. The Punjab Kings again missed the playoffs that year. The team had five consecutive losses. The next season of 2012 was even worse. They finished sixth in the position. This was the downfall of the Punjab Kings. Some of the players of the team were truly showing their skills, but that wasn’t enough. The Punjab Kings were lagging behind in terms of full team support. They again failed to make the playoffs in 2013.
The Golden Season of 2014
This was the franchise's best season until 2025. George Bailey was the captain of the team during the season. Punjab Kings won all five of their opening matches in the UAE leg. Glenn Maxwell was the best player for the team as he made 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The team finally reached the final. But Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 200 with three balls to spare to win the title.
The Long Decline (2015-2019)
The team won just three of 14 games in 2015. They were in eighth position during the season. The Punjab Kings only showed poor performances from 2017 to 2019. The fans were disappointed by the continuous bad play of the team.
The KL Rahul Era and Rebrand (2020-2024)
The 2020 season in the UAE was a rollercoaster. The team won five matches in a row after losing the first five. Punjab Kings had a double-Super Over victory against the Mumbai Indians. KL Rahul won the Orange Cap with 670 runs in this season.
The franchise was rebranded from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings in 2021. The team was hoping for a fresh start. But the results stayed the same. They finished sixth in 2021 and 2022. They were in eighth position in 2023.
The one standout moment from this period came in 2024 when they set a world record for the highest successful run chase in T20 history, chasing down Kolkata Knight Riders' 261 for 6 with eight balls remaining. This continued into 2024, too. The performance didn't get better with time.
The 2025 Revival
The 2025 season was transformative. Punjab Kings bought Shreyas Iyer for 26.75 crore. This was the second-highest bid ever in IPL history. The team finally topped the points table with 10 wins from 17 matches. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. But they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the finals. It was their best season since 2014.
Punjab Kings 2026 Squad
The team is a strong mix of experienced stars and young talent. Shreyas Iyer is leading the team in the 2026 season. Punjab Kings kept most of their core players. They added a few smart signings as they continue their push for a first IPL title.
Batters
Shreyas Iyer: Captain of the team and a top-order batter
Nehal Wadhera: Middle-order power hitter
Vishnu Vinod: a lower-order finisher
Harnoor Pannu: Young domestic top-order batter from Punjab, U-19 background
Pyla Avinash: Uncapped Indian batter, developmental squad option
Prabhsimran Singh: Explosive opening wicketkeeper-batter
Shashank Singh: Middle-order batter, finisher with domestic consistency
All-Rounders
Marcus Stoinis: Overseas power hitter and medium-pace option
Harpreet Brar: middle-overs wicket-taker and handy batter
Marco Jansen: new-ball swing bowler and lower-order hitter
Azmatullah Omarzai: aggressive batter and medium-pace bowler
Priyansh Arya: batting depth with secondary bowling option
Musheer Khan: Promising young all-rounder, also a spin option
Suryansh Shedge: Developing an Indian all-rounder, long-term squad investment
Mitch Owen: Australian all-rounder support option
Cooper Connolly: left-arm spin option for the team.
Ben Dwarshuis: Left-arm pace all-rounder, also a lower-order batting depth
Dasun Shanaka: Sri Lankan experienced power hitter
Bowlers
Arshdeep Singh: a left-arm fast bowler who specializes in death overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal: a middle-overs strike bowler of the team.
Vyshak Vijaykumar: Right-arm fast bowler. He is a domestic backup
Yash Thakur: Right-arm fast bowler. He is a reliable strike bowler
Xavier Bartlett: Australian fast bowler. Act as a pace option
Pravin Dubey: Leg-spin backup bowler. He support spin option behind Chahal
Vishal Nishad: Young uncapped pacer of the team
Lockie Ferguson: strike bowler for death overs
Punjab Kings – IPL 2026 Auction Overview
The team entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a clear strategy. Punjab Kings had a small remaining purse of ₹11.5 crore. They retained most of their core squad. The team left their underperformers to make the team stronger. They focused on strengthening depth rather than rebuilding.
Retained Players
Most of the players of punjab kings are retained. The team mainly focused on keeping their talent to themselves by retaining the core players. The team does not have any traded players.
Shreyas Iyer: ₹26.75 crore
Yuzvendra Chahal: ₹18 crore
Arshdeep Singh: ₹18 crore
Marcus Stoinis: ₹11 crore
Marco Jansen: ₹7 crore
Shashank Singh: ₹5.50 crore
Nehal Wadhera: ₹4.20 crore
Prabhsimran Singh: ₹4 crore
Priyansh Arya: ₹3.80 crore
Mitchell Owen: ₹3 crore
Azmatullah Omarzai: ₹2.40 crore
Lockie Ferguson: ₹2 crore
Vyshak Vijaykumar: ₹1.80 crore
Yash Thakur: ₹1.60 crore
Harpreet Brar: ₹1.50 crore
Vishnu Vinod: ₹95 lakh
Xavier Bartlett: ₹80 lakh
Harnoor Pannu: ₹30 lakh
Pyla Avinash: ₹30 lakh
Musheer Khan: ₹30 lakh
Suryansh Shedge: ₹30 lakh
Bought Players
Ben Dwarshuis: ₹4.40 crore
Cooper Connolly: ₹3 crore
Pravin Dubey: ₹30 lakh
Vishal Nishad: ₹30 lakh
| Player | Role | Price | Nationality | Avg. Batting Strike Rate | Bowling Economy | Strength |
| Shreyas Iyer (C) | Batter | ₹26.75 Cr | Indian | 164.03 | — | Tactical captaincy & spin anchor |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler | ₹18.00 Cr | Indian | — | 8.99 | Elite death-overs yorkers |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Bowler | ₹18.00 Cr | Indian | — | 7.96 | Wicket-taking flight & guile |
| Marcus Stoinis | All-rounder | ₹11.00 Cr | Australian | 144.71 | 9.79 | Raw power & finisher impact |
| Marco Jansen | All-rounder | ₹7.00 Cr | South African | 109.3 | 9.4 | Left-arm swing & bounce |
| Shashank Singh | Batter | ₹5.50 Cr | Indian | 157.75 | 10.4 | High-pressure chasing ability |
| Ben Dwarshuis | Bowler | ₹4.40 Cr | Australian | — | 8.09 | Deceptive left-arm variations |
| Nehal Wadhera | Batter | ₹4.20 Cr | Indian | 142.94 | — | Middle-order stability |
| Prabhsimran Singh | WK-Batter | ₹4.00 Cr | Indian | 172.51 | — | Aggressive Powerplay starts |
| Priyansh Arya | Batter | ₹3.80 Cr | Indian | 242.37 | — | Explosive boundary hitting |
| Cooper Connolly | All-rounder | ₹3.00 Cr | Australian | 171.36 | 6.84 | "Find of the season" (Century vs SRH) |
| Mitchell Owen | All-rounder | ₹3.00 Cr | Australian | — | — | Domestic Aussie pace-bowling depth |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder | ₹2.40 Cr | Afghan | 133.78 | 9.68 | New-ball swing & clean hitting |
| Lockie Ferguson | Bowler | ₹2.00 Cr | New Zealander | — | 8.97 | High-velocity express pace |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak | Bowler | ₹1.80 Cr | Indian | — | 10.37 | Deceptive slower balls & cutters |
| Yash Thakur | Bowler | ₹1.60 Cr | Indian | — | 10.42 | Reliable domestic pace backup |
| Harpreet Brar | Bowler | ₹1.50 Cr | Indian | — | 8.02 | Tight left-arm spin control |
| Vishnu Vinod | WK-Batter | ₹95 Lakh | Indian | 98.24 | — | Backup keeper & squad depth |
| Xavier Bartlett | Bowler | ₹80 Lakh | Australian | — | 9.6 | Traditional new-ball outswing |
| Musheer Khan | All-rounder | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | — | 13.5 | High-potential technical anchor |
| Suryansh Shedge | All-rounder | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | 63.63 | 13.33 | Long-term batting development |
| Harnoor Singh | Batter | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | 130 | — | Local Punjab talent & U-19 star |
| Pyla Avinash | Batter | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | 116.47 | — | Domestic depth & squad reserve |
| Praveen Dubey | Bowler | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | — | 8.53 | Accurate leg-spin support |
| Vishal Nishad | Bowler | ₹30 Lakh | Indian | — | — | Developing left-arm spin talent |
Facts about punjab kings
Punjab Kings were bought for about ₹304 crore, which made them one of the cheapest teams at the time.
Preity Zinta became the first female celebrity owner in IPL history when she bought a 23% stake for around ₹35 crore in 2008.
The first team anthem of the Punjab Kings in 2008 was created by Daler Mehndi. It was called “Dhoom Punjabi”.
Punjab Kings were temporarily removed from the IPL due to legal issues in 2010. This affected the team’s planning during that period.
There have been reports of disagreements among owners over the years. It led to some legal cases, but the ownership group stayed the same since 2008.
The team was in 6th position four times in a row between 2019 and 2022.
Punjab Kings have had many different captains over the years. Their continuous captain changes show instability in leadership.
Preity Zinta studied at Harvard Business School to better understand sports management. She wanted to learn the business side of running an IPL franchise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of PBKS?
PBKS stands for Punjab Kings. Earlier, they were called Kings XI Punjab.
How many times has Punjab Kings qualified for the playoffs?
Punjab Kings have reached the finals 3 times in 2008, 2014 and 2025.
Who is the most expensive player in Punjab Kings history?
Shreyas Iyer was the most expensive one. He was bought for ₹26.75 crore in IPL 2025.
What was Punjab Kings' original name?
Their first name was Kings XI Punjab. It was used from 2008 to 2020.
Who has scored the most runs for Punjab Kings?
KL Rahul has made the highest score for the team by making more than 2,000 runs.
What is the ticket price for Punjab Kings home matches?
Ticket prices vary by the seasons. They usually start from a few hundred rupees to several thousand rupees for premium seats.