IPL 2025: 5 PBKS players who didn't do well, but can be retained for IPL 2026

One tough season does not define careers. IPL is a marathon, not a sprint. These five players deserve the chance to rewrite their story. With defined roles, trust, and clear coaching, PBKS can make 2026 a year of redemption and possibly finally tap into the promised match-winning performances they've been so desperate for.

Despite some sour performances, some of the players did display flashes of brilliance and yet are still part of the team's long-term plan. That's why PBKS shouldn't jump ship just yet. Here are five such players.

1. Marcus Stoinis

The BBL big-hitter arrived on the back of his hero credentials from last season, but mustered only 160 runs across 13 matches at an astounding strike rate of 186 and managed to take just a single wicket, even though he rolled his arm over in many games. Stoinis's power-hitting disappeared in most games, and his part-time seam looked blunt.

Stoinis's T20 experience and shot-selection expertise still pose a value. He is best suited to play fixed roles in a lower‑order finisher and a fourth seam option. With power‑hitting drills of the confidence‑building kind targeted at individual overs, and by limiting his overs to the areas of the ground where he can play to his strengths, Stoinis can still be that X‑factor who flips close games on their head.

2. Azmatullah Omarzai

Praised as an Afghan all‑rounder spark, Omarzai scored just 57 from nine matches and claimed eight wickets. His medium pace barely got a hold, and his lower‑order cameo attempts failed.

For ₹ 2.4 crore, Omarzai also means a left-arm seam variation and lower-order hitting—two departments PBKS would like to keep handy. He can smother alliances with his in-swinger against slow pitches and in middle overs. With an elegant 'overs 7–10' bowling window and playing at No. 7, he can define his role and provide the dual-benefit punch he is capable of.

3. Nehal Wadhera

Plunged into the first team after an influential domestic season, Wadhera showed flashes of class, scoring a pair of dogged 40s. But his boundary-blocking stiff-hands left him alone in pressure runs, and he often fell short of a score that would lead the team home.

Wadhera is 24 years old and the future of PBKS. His cover drives and balance are the embodiment, and with more exposure to high-pressure cricket as well as power-hitting practice, he can turn into a middle-order stalwart. Retaining him speaks volumes about believing in a genuine homegrown gem.

4. Glenn Maxwell

The X-factor all-rounder did not ignite, with 48 runs in six innings at just 8.00 average, a strike rate below 100, and adding only 4 wickets at an economy rate of over 8. His towering figure at No. 5 never arrived in the form of the sort of brutal cameos fans dreamed up.

Maxwell's array of inventive shots and handy off‑spin skills are the game-changers when he is in full flight. Turning 36, he's on the wrong side of unpredictability with his form—but with more advice on how to hold back when to unleash the big shots, and a shorter rope with the ball (two overs or less), he can still play under pressure. 

5. Xavier Bartlett

The Australian pacer played in 4 games, claiming 2 wickets but conceding 96 runs with an economy of more than 9.00 while looking for rhythm on fresh surfaces. The performance was not really impressive for the name he held.

Bartlett's natural bounce and pace are a luxury not many sides have. As a cheap bench option, he gives huge upside. Death‑over training specific to his requirements and acclimatisation to subcontinental tracks can make him the surprise strike bowler who wins close matches.

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