New Delhi: Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting heaped praise on the franchise’s skipper Shreyas Iyer after reuniting with him ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Ponting revealed he was desperate to work with Shreyas again having seen him grow during the duo’s 3-year stint as the coach and captain at Delhi Capitals (DC).
Iyer was appointed as Delhi Capitals’ full-time captain in 2018, replacing veteran Gautam Gambhir at the time under Ponting’s rein. Ponting and Iyer combined to guide Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL final in 2020. DC dominated the proceedings in the league stage in IPL 2020 and stormed into the final where they lost to Mumbai Indians to miss out on their first-ever title.
While Ponting was let go of by Delhi Capitals last year, Iyer was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction despite having led the franchise to their 3rd title in IPL 2024. PBKS spent a whopping Rs 26.75 crore to sign Iyer at the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the second-most expensive player in IPL history.
“I was desperate to work with Shreyas again. We had a great working relationship at Delhi over a long period of time. He’s one of the best players that I’ve worked with. He’s a great human being. He’s an IPL winning captain. You couldn’t ask for much more. He’s only joined the camp a couple of days ago. So he’s starting to make his mark on the team as a captain and as a leader,” Ponting said, lauding Iyer in a media interaction on Tuesday.
“We’ve put a great squad together. As you know, captain-coach relationship in any team is vital. And I know that we’ve got a really good strong one here,” he added.
Punjab Kings are known for regularly revamping their squads in nearly every mega auction and changing their captains in search of success. However, they have managed to build a strong squad this time around that is capable of going the distance under Iyer and Ponting. PBKS have the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh and Marcus Stonis among others in their ranks.
The confidence Ponting gives is a different level: Iyer
Iyer reciprocated Ponting’s favour as he too sung praises of the former Australia captain. Iyer shared a great relationship with Ponting during the duo’s time as a captain-coach pair at the Delhi Capitals and he believes the Aussie great has the ability to inspire every member of the squad and give them the confidence to perform at their best.
“I’ve worked with him for almost three years in a franchise. And I know how he thinks about every individual on and off the field. He supports everyone. You see in some places there is a senior-junior culture,” said Iyer.
“But when I worked with him for the first time, he made me feel like I’m a great player. And I can easily excel in this format. So, the confidence he gives is of a different level,” he added.
Punjab Kings will be looking to make a winning start in IPL 2025 when they lock horns with Gujarat Titans in their opening game on March 25. Punjab Kings will be playing five of their seven home matches at their home ground in Mullanpur, Punjab and two matches at their second home – the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting lauded the franchise’s newly-appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer and revealed he was desperate to work with him ahead of the IPL 2025. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
