Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting said he was eager to work with Shreyas Iyer again on his new team after they had worked together at Delhi Capitals (DC). PBKS bought Iyer for a huge Rs. 26.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the second-most expensive player in the tournament’s history.
Ricky Ponting Eager to Reunite with Shreyas Iyer at PBKS
In the previous season, Shreyas led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title but was released before the auction. The Mumbai player had joined KKR from Delhi Capitals (DC) three years earlier. In 2020, Shreyas and Ponting, as captain and coach, helped DC reach their first-ever IPL final.
“I was desperate to work with Shreyas again,” Ponting said at PBKS’ pre-season press conference. “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. We’ve put a great squad together. As you know, the captain-coach relationship in any team is vital. And I know that we’ve got a really good strong one here,” he added.
Shreyas Iyer’s Journey from KKR to PBKS
The Australian coach also spoke about PBKS’ struggles at home. Last season, the team won only one out of five matches at their new home ground, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh. As a result, the team finished ninth in the points table.
“What I understand is that if you are not winning at home, you are not winning the IPL,” Ponting said. “It’s one of the main reasons that I’m sitting here now. I wanted a really strong coaching challenge. And we’ve got that. But there’s no pressure on us. What have we got to lose? (having never won). We’re going to go out and play a really dynamic and entertaining brand of cricket. And I know we’ve got the players that can do that.”
PBKS will kick off their IPL 2025 season against the Gujarat Titans on March 25.
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