Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar took 11 wickets in 8 IPL matches last season (2025) and former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar said Punjab Kings (PBKS) should field Harpreet Brar in all matches this season, stating that the left-arm spinner can be effective against both right-handed and left-handed batsmen.Punjab Kings, runners-up in 2025, begin their campaign against Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 31 in New Chandigarh. Brar has played 49 matches for the franchise since 2019, taking 35 wickets at an average of 31.00, including a four-wicket haul. Last season was his most productive, with 10 wickets in eight matches at an average of 19.00 and an economy rate of 8.63, with best figures of 3/22.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Bangar said that Yuzvendra Chahal will take care of the middle overs and in the absence of Glenn Maxwell, Brar can provide overs in the powerplay. Maxwell was released after the previous season. Bangar added that he had confidence in Brar during his time in the Punjab organisation. The spinner has 102 wickets in 105 T20 matches at an average of 23.79, including four four-wicket hauls.“I don’t think there is pressure on Yuzi as such because he bowls in the middle. They have released Glenn Maxwell who gave them important overs in the powerplay. So who is going to be the powerplayer? That is where I think Harpreet Brar is a quality player. Don’t play him just for matchups because when I was part of that set-up, I had tremendous confidence in his abilities. Whenever he was given the ball for Punjab, he did the job. So play Harpreet Brar, maybe as an impact player, but play him in every match,” the former India batting coach said.Brar comes into the season after a home run with Punjab. He took 23 wickets in four Ranji Trophy matches at an average of 21.26, including two five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 6/38. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took 15 wickets in nine matches at an average of 15.73 and an economy rate of 8.13, with a four-wicket haul. He also participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking one wicket in four matches.Bangar also spoke about Punjab’s opening pair, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who had good seasons last year. Priyansh scored 475 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of over 179, including a century and two fifties, while Prabhsimran made 549 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of over 160, with four fifties.Bangar said Priyansh’s start to the season will be important after his recent national performances. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 344 runs in eight innings at an average of 49.14 and a strike rate of 163.80, with four fifties. In the Ranji Trophy, he made 131 runs in three matches at an average of 43.67, with a best of 82. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 197 runs in seven innings at an average of 28.14 and a strike rate of over 155, with a fifty.“Prabhsimran Singh has been around for many years. He also scored a hundred in the IPL, a couple of seasons ago, and has been playing regularly for Punjab. Punjab has persisted with him. He was also one of their retentions as an uncapped player. So I don’t think the second season blues (to have a second consecutive strong season) are there for Prabhsimran,” he said.“But Priyansh Arya, what a find he was for the Punjab Kings. It was his batting that ensured that Punjab never looked to use their best foreign batsman, and that’s why I think there might be a bit of a mystery around how Priyansh Arya copes with these expectations, because, so far in domestic cricket, I think he’s had a quiet season. We’ll have to see how he starts the season. If he starts the season really well, then I don’t think it’s going to be like that. “It’s a problem, but if he has a streak of low scores, then there might be some question marks over that opening combination,” Bangar said.
