Punjab Kings Likely to Hand Shreyas Iyer's Spot to Emerging Talent
With plans to replace Shreyas Iyer in their setup Punjab Kings are reportedly weighing a major decision which will affect their IPL 2026 plans. Under Iyer’s leadership PBKS will launch their season against Gujarat Titans whose team is led by Shubman Gill on March 31 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur New Chandigarh.
The franchise management has already made bold moves which have transformed the PBKS squad through intelligent player acquisitions that will improve the team for their upcoming season. The reports indicate that Punjab Kings will replace Shreyas Iyer with another player for the upcoming tournament as the event approaches.
Iyer who has extensive experience as a Mumbai batsman departed from Kolkata Knight Riders after he helped the team win their third IPL championship in 2024. PBKS secured him for a massive INR 26.75 crore in the auction which established him as their main player acquisition.
He later took charge as captain and led the side to the IPL 2025 final. Although Iyer lost the match against RCB he received recognition for his exceptional leadership abilities.
He made important contributions with his batting performance which included 604 runs at a 50.33 average and a 175.07 strike rate. He excelled as a number three batsman by scoring 360 runs at an outstanding 51.43 batting average.
The team now seems prepared to give the number three batting position to an Australian player who will be acquired through the 2026 auction.
Josh Inglis who played as an explosive wicketkeeper-batter for PBKS during the second half of IPL 2025 was used at number three. The franchise released Inglis back into the auction pool after he confirmed his unavailability for most of the 2026 season. Cooper Connolly who joined Punjab Kings for INR 3 crore received the opportunity to enter the team because of his exit.
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The team needs to find their optimal playing XI combination after Inglis departure. The team needs to choose between two players who will replace their current player: Mitchell Owen or experienced all-rounder Marcus Stoinis who has better chances of becoming the selected player.
According to ESPNCricinfo reports, Cooper Connolly who will play as a batter only will replace Iyer at the number three position this season. Iyer has demonstrated his capacity to perform various roles. He made 244 runs through his four and five batting position during seven games last season.
Connolly, on the other hand, holds a solid record at number three. He has scored 378 runs in 14 innings for Perth Scorchers at a strike rate of 132.2. This performance demonstrates his ability to establish a solid batting foundation for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026.