It was a case of so near yet so far for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the franchise was a force to be reckoned with in the 2025 edition, but narrowly missed out on the title after losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The heartbreak, however, could serve as motivation heading into the 2026 season, which begins on March 28. Punjab Kings open their campaign on March 31 against the 2022 champions, the Gujarat Titans.
Pacer Yash Thakur, who featured in just two matches for the franchise last season, is expected to play a bigger role in 2026, especially with Lockie Ferguson set to join the squad late due to personal reasons. With the T20 game becoming increasingly batter-friendly, the chatter once again revolves around whether teams can breach the 300-run mark.
However, the 27-year-old speedster from Vidarbha isn’t one to complain. Speaking to Hindustan Times Digital ahead of IPL 2026, Thakur admitted that bowling to batters has become increasingly challenging, but said he relishes the opportunity to take on some of the biggest names in the game. He added that bowlers must constantly reinvent themselves, with no other way to keep up with the demands of modern cricket.
"It's a good challenge for bowlers. You can say that. They are scoring good runs, 250. 250 is normal, I guess nowadays. But as a bowler, I think it's a good challenge. I can say that. You have a good challenge to demonstrate your skill, mindset, and execution. That's a great challenge for a bowler," said Thakur.
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"If you have a good stop ball, it is your strength, but you have to keep adding the deliveries, which can deceive the batters. Because nowadays, as I said, wickets are very true. So you have to build new skills, new balls, new deliveries to get him out. You have a stock ball, you have a very good stock ball, that is your big strength, but adding to that strength, you have to be like that other delivery," he added.
Thakur said it wouldn't be a bad idea to increase the boundary sizes at every IPL venue. "I think you can do that. If a bowler gets one chance of a good, bigger boundary, they have a slight advantage. But now the wicket is a bit true, and you can see that batsmen are very aggressive nowadays. So, it doesn't matter but a slight edge you can give them," said the pacer.
Over the past few months, Thakur has grown by leaps and bounds, representing Vidarbha across multiple domestic competitions. Since last year’s IPL, he has featured in the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup, and was also part of the India A setup for series against Australia A and South Africa A. He also turned out in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy.
The added exposure has given him valuable experience, and he is eager to put it to use in the upcoming IPL, where he will share the dressing room with the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal.
"Definitely. I mean, last year we didn't get the trophy, but this year we surely can. I'm looking to win matches for my team and the trophy, because last year we just missed by 6 runs. So just one hit away, but as I said, this year, everyone is charged up, everyone from day one of the camp, like from January, the camp has started. Everyone is charged up," said Thakur.
What makes Ponting and Shreyas so great?
Shreyas has emerged as a proven leader in the IPL, winning the title with Kolkata Knight Riders while also guiding both Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to finals. Speaking about Iyer, Thakur described him as a great team man, calling it his biggest strength. The speedster also heaped praise on head coach Ricky Ponting, saying the two-time World Cup-winning captain is one of the finest cricketing minds he has come across.
"He (Shreyas) is a team man. He looks for every player in the group. It's not just the 11, he looks for every 20-25 players in the group," said Thakur.
"I have worked for the first time with Ricky sir, and I have learnt so much about his mind. He is very hungry to win every match. So, that is a good quality about him. We were winning, but Ricky sir from day one, we had a camp in Dharamshala. From day one, he said, we don't have to settle for just one win. We have to reach there. Our goal is to win that trophy. So, we have to be focused on that. We have to win every game, but the end goal is always the trophy. So, think about that only," he added.
Thakur mentioned that the culture within the PBKS dressing room is excellent, with players in good shape and raring to go for the upcoming season. He added that the team has the right mix of youth and experience, which should keep the environment healthy and competitive.
"The culture is very positive, everyone is a team player. Everyone helps you. And like you said about senior bowlers, like I have Arshdeep, he's a very good bowler, he's very experienced, they all are very helpful," said Thakur.
"When you're going to a tournament, if you have very good domestic players, you can surely excel in the tournament because, yeah, we have the senior international players, they can guide you," he concluded.