Chandigarh, Feb 18 (IANS) The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) will organise the Punjab Premier League (PPL) in June 2026. Punjab’s domestic T20 cricket league will now be played under a new name and a new format.

All 6 teams in PPL will be franchise-based and players will be bought through an auction and only Punjab registered players will participate.

Every major Punjab player will be part of the Punjab Premier League. Indian Test and limited-overs opener Shubman Gill, India’s No.1 T20 batsman Abhishek Sharma, and bowler Arshdeep Singh are to be included as marquee players.

Apart from them, other experienced Punjab players may also be included as marquee names, such as Ramandeep Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, among others. Young player Vihaan Malhotra, who is a part of current India under 19 team will also feature.

Along with senior players, Punjab’s Under-23 players will also get an opportunity to play.

Besides the marquee names, the league will also see participation from several other emerging Punjab cricketers who have made a mark at the domestic and IPL level.

Players such as Mayank Markande, Ashwani Kumar, Gurnoor Brar, Harnoor Singh, Raman Dhir and Harpreet Brar are set to feature in the tournament, adding depth and competitiveness to the league. In addition, talented performers like Salil Arora, Raghu Sharma, and several other promising players will also be part of the PPL.

All players will go through a draft. Several players will be placed in different price slabs, and teams will get the opportunity to bid for their preferred players.

Six franchise will participate in the Punjab Premier League 2026, with several prominent Punjab-based business houses and corporate groups keen to acquire ownership stakes and align themselves with the state’s premier domestic T20 League.

--IANS

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