Punjab Kings (PBKS) may have secured a place in the IPL 2025 playoffs for the first time in over a decade, capping their success with a top-two finish. However, head coach Ricky Ponting is keeping expectations in check, insisting that the team “haven’t achieved anything yet” with the most crucial matches still ahead.
PBKS solidified their status at the top of the points table after a commanding victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur. The win means they will have two opportunities to reach the final. Ponting expressed his satisfaction post-match, stating, “I’m obviously very pleased for the group. It’s a lot of hard work that goes into being able to achieve something like this as a team. I think it’s pretty obvious to see that this is a really talented team that are all on the same page and heading in the same direction.”
He continued, “I mean, yeah, it’s a great achievement till now, but really, if you look back, we haven’t achieved anything yet. That’s the one thing I’ve been saying to the players since the moment we qualified.”
Ponting has been particularly impressed with Shreyas Iyer, whom he previously coached at Delhi Capitals (DC). PBKS invested heavily in Iyer at the last auction, spending INR 26.75 crore. “I was pretty keen to work with him [Iyer] again,” said Ponting. “We had a great working relationship in Delhi, we made a final [IPL 2020] in Delhi under his captaincy.”
Iyer’s ability to connect with team members has not gone unnoticed. “He’s pumped them up, he’s given them a pat on the back when they needed it, and he’s given them a kick in the pants when they’ve needed it as well, which is a sign of a really good and strong leader,” Ponting acknowledged.
Iyer himself spoke about the mutual respect and understanding with Ponting. “He just gives me that freedom to go out there and express myself, especially being decisive on the field,” he said. “Ricky has been fantastic with the player management. And for me, it’s important to gain the trust of each and every individual.”
Josh Inglis has also earned Iyer’s admiration, with Iyer willingly stepping aside from his usual No. 3 position. Their strategic shifts seem to be paying off, as PBKS takes each match in stride, eyeing the ultimate prize without losing focus.
Cricket experts like Tom Moody and Wasim Jaffer have discussed whether this could finally be PBKS’s year. Yet, as Ponting reminds everyone, the journey is far from over, and the team must stay focused to maintain their upward trajectory.
