IPL 2026: Who will bat at three for Punjab Kings?
What's the story
Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly will take Jos Inglis's place at No. 3 for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2026 season, as per ESPNcricinfo. The decision comes after Inglis was released by PBKS ahead of the auction due to availability concerns throughout the season. Connolly, who is uncapped in IPL, is expected to bat at No. 3 despite his recent struggles with form.
Injury update
Connolly to bat only through April
Connolly will play as a specialist batter until the end of April, as he recovers from a back issue. Cricket Australia's medical team has advised him not to bowl his left-arm spin in the early part of IPL 2026. This is to ensure that he fully recovers before resuming bowling duties later in the tournament.
Performance overview
Connolly inconsistent before Punjab Kings opener
Connolly started the BBL season with two consecutive half-centuries but has only managed double-digit scores thrice in his last 15 T20 innings. His highest score during this period has been 28. He overall averages 24.85 in T20 cricket. The games he played during this stretch included those in the BBL, Australia's tour of Pakistan, and the 2026 T20 World Cup. Under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, PBKS will play their first match on March 31 against Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh.
Team strengths
PBKS once again have a formidable batting line-up
Meanwhile, Connolly will have a big cushion in terms of batting firepower around him. The 2025 season was a fruitful one for the Punjab Kings opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Captain Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Marcus Stoinis should be the other names in the team's first-choice top sevem.
Information
Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2026
PBKS squad for IPL 2026: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod, Connolly, Connolly, Dwarshuis, Praveen Dubey, Vishal Nishad.