07 April,2026 06:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aakash Chopra (File Pic)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are "one of the teams to beat" in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, according to former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra. Chopra highlighted PBKS' potent batting unit, which is based on young Indian players, and stated that coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer are doing a good job of leading the club.
PBKS finished second in their previous season after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning champions this year. PBKS began the 2026 IPL season with two victories in their first two games before sharing a point with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after weather caused their match to conclude in a draw.
Speaking on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Aakash Chopra said the Punjab Kings are a strong contender this season with their impressive form and the batting approach built around young Indian players.
"Punjab Kings are definitely one of the teams to beat. They were outstanding last season, reached the final, and have started this season strongly as well. What makes them different is their batting. They rely heavily on young Indian players with limited international experience, supported by overseas players, and yet it all comes together really well," Aakash Chopra said.
Young players Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya excelled for PBKS with the bat during the IPL 2025 season, amassing 549 and 475 runs, respectively. With 604 runs during the season, captain Shreyas Iyer topped the batting charts.
Aakash Chopra further noted that while Punjab Kings' bowling isn't exceptional, it gets the job done, and praised the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting. He added that the team was unlucky with the abandoned match, as they likely would have backed themselves to win based on their current form.
"Their bowling isn't extraordinary, but it's effective, and the team is being managed brilliantly by Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting. Having said that, they'll feel a bit hard done by with this abandoned game because on current form, they would have backed themselves to win it more often than not," he said.
(With ANI Input)
