IPL 2026 auction: Why Punjab Kings should prioritise pacers and whom they should pick

Naveen-ul-Haq and Shreyas Iyer (Source: AFP)

Punjab Kings had a breakthrough 2025 IPL season and made it to the finale of the tournament after 11 long years. They could not cross the final hurdle, but they gelled beautifully as a unit under Shreyas Iyer, and many young players stepped up.

They had many bases covered with firepower in the batting and bowling departments, but need to iron out some of their flaws in the pace department. If they can manage to do that in the auction by buying some quality bowlers, they would be better equipped to win the title in the 2026 season.

Why Punjab Kings need a quality overseas pacer

Punjab Kings' squad has lot of seam-bowling all-rounders in their XI with the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Aaron Hardie, Mitchell Owen in their arsenal. However, they were short of frontline pacers, and once Lockie Ferguson got injured, they lacked pacers who could bowl in difficult situations, especially at the death.

There was heavy dependence on Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen as they picked 31 wickets out of the total 63 scalps by pacers. Also, Arshdeep Singh was the only trusted bowler that Shreyas Iyer had at the backend, and it cost the Punjab Kings some games in IPL 2025. Lockie Ferguson continues to struggle with his fitness and even if he gets fully fit, the injury is always around the corner.

Numbers of wickets taken by Punjab Kings pacers in IPL 2025

Thus, Punjab Kings should release him ahead of the auction for IPL 2026 and free up their 10 crore. They can also release Aaron Hardie, a all-rounder they did not use in the last season and can use that money to buy a quality overseas pacer.

So, here are the three pacers that the Punjab Kings can target in the upcoming auction.

Naveen-ul-Haq

Naveen-ul-Haq went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, but he is a bowler who can fit perfectly into the requirements of the Punjab Kings. Punjab have bowlers like Azmatullah Omarzai, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, and Marcus Stoinis, who all can be effective in Powerplay or middle overs. So, if they can add Naveen-ul-Haq to that arsenal, he can bowl in tandem with Arshdeep Singh at death.

Naveen-ul-Haq in T20s

Naveen-ul-Haq is known for his variations and has the ability to deliver yorkers under pressure. Thus, it would provide Shreyas Iyer with a reliable option under pressure and would be of great help for the Punjab Kings.

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Alzarri Joseph

Alzarri Joseph was another quality overseas player who went unsold in the 2025 auction. He has played for three different franchises in IPL before, and has not been able to live upto his billing. However, he brings raw pace to the table and has the ability to rattle the best of the batters when he is on song.

Alzarri Joseph in T20s

His hit-the-deck approach can be useful for the Punjab Kings to trouble the opposition in the middle overs. Overall, in T20s, he has emerged as a genuine wicket-taker with an excellent average and strike-rate and can be an x-factor for Punjab Kings on flat decks in IPL.

Ottneil Baartman

Ottneil Baartman, the South African pacer, can be another valuable addition to the Punjab Kings unit. He is known for his death-bowling and be used as a specialised bowler in middle and death overs. The cricketer is known for his ability to deliver yorkers consistently, and it is something that the Punjab Kings missed in the last season.

Ottneil Baartman in T20s

Baartman has not played in IPL but has a lot of T20 experience and has the knack of picking wickets in clusters. Punjab Kings can also save money by buying him in the auction, as he is not likely to be in big demand and can fill more gaps in their squad.

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