Mumbai, April 7 -- Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra hailed Punjab Kings (PBKS) as "one of the teams to beat" in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Chopra noted PBKS' strong batting unit, relying on young Indian players, and said that the team is being managed well by the captain, Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting.

PBKS ended their last season as the runners-up, facing a defeat against this season's defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the IPL 2026, PBKS started with two wins in two matches and then shared a point with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after their match ended in a no-result due to rain.

Speaking on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Aakash Chopra said Punjab Kings are a strong conten...