Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed his predicted Punjab Kings (PBKS) playing XII following the IPL 2026 auction, held on Tuesday, December 16, in Abu Dhabi. The IPL 2025 runners-up had only four slots to fill, having retained 21 players ahead of the auction.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, December 17, Pathan backed Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh to continue as the openers. At No. 3, he supported Shreyas Iyer, followed by uncapped batter Nehal Wadhera and veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

At No. 6, the 41-year-old slotted in PBKS’ new signing, young Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly, who was acquired for ₹3 crore. Pathan expressed hope that Connolly would offer more consistency than Glenn Maxwell and said:

“When Josh Inglis left and then Maxwell also retired, you needed replacements, so they brought in Cooper Connolly. They are thinking of him as a like-for-like replacement. He is a left-handed batter who keeps his bat low and impressed a lot with the way he played against India in the ODI series Australia played. He also bowls left-arm spin, so he is a good pick. He is expected to be more consistent than Maxwell, and hopefully he will get opportunities.”

Next, he chose Shashank Singh, who was brilliant for the Kings in the 2025 season, scoring 350 runs at an average of 50.00 with a strike rate of 153.50, including three fifties.

Irfan Pathan picks veteran leg-spinner as Impact Player for PBKS playing XII for IPL 2026

At No. 8, Irfan Pathan backed in-form South African all-rounder Marco Jansen. He then suggested the team could pick Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, or Yash Thakur depending on pitch conditions. Meanwhile, he completed his XI by selecting seamers Lockie Ferguson and Arshdeep Singh.

For the Impact Player slot, he selected leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the all-time leading wicket-taker in the IPL, who has taken 221 wickets in 174 matches.

Irfan Pathan’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) playing XII for IPL 2026: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar/Vijaykumar Vishak/Yash Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh.

Impact Player: Yuzvendra Chahal.