3 players PBKS must target at the IPL 2026 auction ft. Rachin Ravindra

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) enter the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with a calm head and a settled roster. The finalists of the previous campaign have barely any holes to fill as they head to the event on Tuesday, December 16.

Punjab released four overseas players, though, and have some work to do on that front. Even if their first-choice playing XII isn't going to change much, having some flexibility and quality backups across roles would be high on their agenda.

Players released: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey

Players retained: 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

On that note, here are three players PBKS must target at the IPL 2026 auction.

#3 Rachin Ravindra

2025 IPL - Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings - Source: Getty

Punjab currently don't have any specialist overseas opening options. While Mitchell Owen has donned that role in the Big Bash League, they'd ideally like an overseas left-hander who can take the attack to the opposition in the powerplay.

Rachin Ravindra seems to fit the bill. PBKS went hard for Devon Conway during last year's mega auction, indicating that they too would like someone similar for that role. The Kiwi would be an upgrade on Conway, and he's likely to be a fair bit cheaper too.

Ravindra won't start ahead of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, but a generational talent like him would certainly be a good option for the franchise to target.

#2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Asia Cup Cricket - Source: Getty

Similarly, PBKS need to fill the hole vacated by Josh Inglis. An overseas wicket-keeper who can bat in the top order would be high on their priority list, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz might be the man for the job.

Punjab already have some Afghan flair in the form of Azmatullah Omarzai, and adding his countryman might not be the worst idea. Gurbaz has flattered to deceive in the IPL, but he's a player with a high ceiling. If he can tune his game slightly, he could become as dangerous as anyone else in the league.

#1 Rahul Chahar

India v England: Warm Up Match - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 - Source: Getty

Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a decent number of wickets in IPL 2025, but he was clearly far from his best. The experienced leg-spinner has refused to adapt to the demands of the modern game, and Punjab must've certainly considered releasing him ahead of the auction.

While PBKS decided not to, they would probably want to secure a capable backup in case Chahal's form goes south. Rahul Chahar, as one of the more experienced options in the auction pool, could be high on their target list. The leg-spinner has played for the franchise before, and Mullanpur could suit his style of defensive bowling.

Edited by Sai Krishna