Overview:
He suggested PBKS to go with Marco Jansen at No. 7, Harpreet Brar at 8, Yuzvendra Chahal at 9, Lockie Ferguson at 10, and Arshdeep Singh completing the XI.
Ex-India cricketer Sanjay Bangar has named his preferred Playing XI for Punjab Kings. According to him, the team that finished second last season could stick to a strategy of including three international stars in their playing roster.
Punjab Kings were defeated by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the team retained 21 of their existing players and added new talent to the squad, including Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pravin Dubey, and Vishal Nishad.
In a discussion on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar shared his preferred playing XI for the Shreyas Iyer-led side.
Bangar expects the top order to be led by Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, with Shreyas Iyer at No. 3 and a middle order featuring Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, and Shashank Singh. The side’s depth, including three overseas slots, gives them adaptability in any contest.
“I am fully confident that this team is a strong contender for the playoffs. They have enough talent to field three overseas players in the playing XI. Speaking about the batting lineup, I see Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya opening, followed by Shreyas Iyer at No. 3, Nehal Wadhera at No. 4, Marcus Stoinis at No. 5, and Shashank Singh at No. 6,” he said.
He suggested PBKS to go with Marco Jansen at No. 7, Harpreet Brar at 8, Yuzvendra Chahal at 9, Lockie Ferguson at 10, and Arshdeep Singh completing the XI. Bangar included three foreign players, giving flexibility to strengthen the bowling with another pacer or Azmatullah Omarzai.
“Marco Jansen would bat at No. 7, followed by Harpreet Brar at No. 8, Yuzvendra Chahal at No. 9, Lockie Ferguson at No. 10, and Arshdeep Singh at No. 11. I’ve included only three overseas players in this lineup. When it comes to bowling, you could bring in another overseas pacer to strengthen the attack. Azmatullah Omarzai could also be an option,” he added.
Sanjay Bangar’s predicted Punjab Kings XI for IPL 2026: Shreyas Iyer, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh