Punjab Kings face tough retention calls ahead of the November 17 deadline as Hardik Pandya's INR 18.00 crore trade reshapes their squad balance.
Punjab Kings confirmed one of the biggest moves of the IPL 2027 trade window when the BCCI officially ratified the swap involving Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh between Mumbai Indians and PBKS. Hardik joins the Shreyas Iyer-led side at a revised fee of ₹18 crore, making him the first cricketer in the IPL 2027 trade window to receive a salary hike.
The trade is expected to bring considerable changes in terms of all-rounders and fast bowlers at PBKS. With the retention and release deadline set for November 17, and the mini-auction scheduled for December 16, 2026, the franchise must now decide which players no longer fit their revised squad needs.
Here are 3 player PBKS might release after Hardik Pandya's arrival:
1. Musheer Khan
Musheer Khan is among the players who could find himself on the wrong side of the retention deadline at Punjab Kings. Hardik Pandya's arrival adds a high-profile batting all-rounder to the PBKS middle order, which could reduce the available slots for younger Indian batters in the same mould.
PBKS already have a settled core of likely retentions including Shreyas Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, leaving limited room for fringe Indian batting options. With the squad ceiling at 25 players and the purse standing at just INR 3.50 crore after the IPL 2026 auction, PBKS have strong financial reasons to trim carefully before the mini-auction.