He will play a crucial role for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Marco Jansen will arrive late for IPL 2026. According to a PTI report, Ricky Ponting has approved his request, as he went home later than usual after the T20 World Cup 2026.
West Indies and South African players were stranded in India due to the war situation in the Middle East, which affected several flight routes. Hence, the Proteas were among the last batch of players to fly home, even though they crashed out of the tournament after a defeat to New Zealand in the first semifinal.
Hence, Marco Jansen will join the Punjab Kings camp a bit later on March 26 after spending some time in home comforts. The runners-up of the last season will play their opening IPL 2026 game on March 31 against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Mullanpur.
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For now, the South African all-rounder is unlikely to miss the start of the season and should be available for selection from the initial game onwards. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting and other foreign players are expected to link up with the franchise later this week, on March 21, to begin their preparations.
Between last season and this, Marco Jansen has evolved massively as a T20 player, with improved returns with both bat and ball. He just enjoyed a decent T20 World Cup 2026 in similar conditions, snaring 11 wickets at 21.55 in six outings, with two four-wicket hauls.
He has developed a few variations, including a unique slower ball, and understands how to construct his overs without becoming predictable. His natural attributes have always been high, which was one of the reasons PBKS bought him, and he will be tasked with bowling tough overs with Arshdeep Singh.
As a batter, Marco Jansen’s hitting has improved massively in the lower: he has a strike rate of 160.52 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 4.22 this year. His presence will add depth to the lineup in a team full of several multi-skilled players.
Last season, PBKS missed his services in the playoffs and fell one step short of their maiden IPL title after a defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). They would want Jansen to provide that crucial edge this time around, starting with being available throughout the campaign.
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