The upcoming edition of the league is set to run from March 26 to May 31. It remains to be seen if defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home base will host a game, after a deadly stampede halted all big-ticket cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium
Shreyas Iyer (Pic: File Pic)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) concluded the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction after acquiring the services of four players, completing their 25-man squad for the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.
During the auction, the side bought two uncapped and two capped players, while Australia's pacer Ben Dwarshuis emerged as the team's most expensive buy, according to a release.
The Punjab-based franchise opened its account after winning the bid for Cooper Connolly. He is a batting all-rounder who plays for Australia and was bought for Rs 3 crore. Connolly has the potential to provide stability in the middle order and is also handy with the ball.
Speaking about him, skipper Shreyas Iyer revealed that there was no plan to go for Connolly, however, considering the overall situation, the management thought that he was the perfect fit for a specific position.
"Honestly, he wasn't there in our mind at the start, but as we brainstormed and narrowed down our options, we realised he fit the position perfectly," he said.
"He has a great temperament and the ability to finish games. Those characteristics matter a lot in IPL. However, we didn't think we would get him for 3, we actually predicted his price would be much higher," added Shreyas Iyer.
The team's highest bid of the auction followed shortly after, as Ben Dwarshuis was signed for Rs 4.4 crore. The left-arm pacer and handy lower-order striker adds significant depth to the bowling attack while providing a lethal power-hitting option at the death.
The Kings entered the auction with a purse of Rs 11.5 crore, exhausting Rs 8 crore and acquiring two overseas and two Indian players.
The upcoming edition of the league is set to kick off from March 26 to May 31. It remains to be seen if defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru's home base gets a game after a deadly stampede halted all big-ticket cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
As per established norms, the Chinnaswamy should host the tournament opener, given that the home side, RCB, won the IPL 2025 title, but that is unlikely to be clear till the time the BCCI comes out with the full-scale schedule. The venue was witness to chaos and a stampede, which left 11 dead, after the Bengaluru-based franchise's trophy celebrations drew lakhs on the streets.
(With Inputs from Agencies)
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