‘I spent big money on Shreyas Iyer for a reason’: Ricky Ponting after PBKS revive playoff hopes
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has heaped praise on captain Shreyas Iyer after the PBKS skipper produced a sensational unbeaten century to keep the franchise alive in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Punjab ended their six-match losing streak with an impressive seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, chasing 197 in just 18 overs. Shreyas led the charge with a superb 101 not out from 51 balls, registering his maiden IPL century, while Prabhsimran Singh hammered 69 from 39 balls in a match-winning 140 runs for the third wicket.
Reflecting on the victory, Ponting admitted that Punjab had endured a tough road in recent weeks, but thanked the team for responding under pressure.
“We did it the hard way, let’s put it that way. We did what we had to do today. Again, sloppy on the pitch, gave them 20 points more than they should have. Quite a clinical chase, especially being in trouble at the start,” Ponting said after the match.
The former Australia captain reserved special praise for Shreyas, revealing why Punjab invested heavily in him at the auction and hailing both his leadership and temperament.
“The captain, he’s been doing it all season. It’s his first IPL century tonight. We’ll celebrate that and then we’ll sit and wait for those results tomorrow,” he said.
“There’s a reason why I spent as much money in auctions as I did a few years ago (on Iyer). He’s a great guy, a very mature player now, a very mature leader. More often than not, he controls his emotions on the field. The respect he gets from his players is second to none.”
Ponting also highlighted Shreyas’ influence in the dressing room, saying the PBKS players fully embrace their skipper’s leadership.
“The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks, not a single look leaves a single word of what he is saying. Nice to work with him. Really happy with the season he has had,” Ponting added.
The PBKS coach also backed Shreyas for a bigger role in the Indian white-ball set-up in the future.
“It’s great to see him back in the Indian one-day team. I definitely think there is a bigger and brighter future for him in the Indian T20 team as well,” he said.
Punjab’s victory lifted them to fourth place with 15 points from 14 matches, although their playoff hopes still depend on results elsewhere. Rajasthan Royals will face Mumbai Indians on Sunday, and PBKS need Rajasthan to lose to stay in the top four.
Ponting admitted the dramatic decline in Punjab’s form after a strong first half of the season damaged their campaign.
“The level of cricket we played in the first half was a level I have never seen before. And then we made some crucial mistakes at different times in the last six games,” he said.
The Australian great also praised Prabhsimran Singh for continuing his impressive season and credited the young opener’s growing self-confidence.
“A wonderful player. It’s probably only in the last few years that he’s realized how good he is. He and Priyansh have been exceptional for us over the last two seasons. Seeing him play a mature innings tonight in a good run chase will do him a world of good,” Ponting said.
With Punjab’s fate now depending on Sunday’s results, Ponting revealed that the team will closely monitor the remaining decisive matches of the playoffs.
“We will try to get the boys together and watch (the RR-MI match),” he concluded.
