Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting said on Sunday that Shreyas Iyer, who was bought for Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction, is the perfect choice to captain the team in IPL 2025. Ponting mentioned that Iyer has the experience of leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the title earlier this year.
Shreyas Iyer’s Rs 26.75 crore bid briefly made him the most expensive IPL player ever, until his India teammate Rishabh Pant surpassed him with a massive Rs 27 crore deal with Lucknow Super Giants.
Ricky Ponting’s Support for Shreyas Iyer as Punjab Kings Captain
“I’ve worked with him in the past in Delhi (Capitals); he’s been a successful captain in the IPL before,” said Ponting in a mid-auction press meet. “Obviously, he’s a championship-winning captain from last season. We’ve got someone there who can do the job if that’s the way we decide to go,” he said.
The Australian World Cup-winning captain also praised Iyer for his outstanding unbeaten 130 for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Saturday.
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“I’m delighted to have him back and work with him. He also got a good 57-ball 130 not out in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy yesterday. If he can do that for us in the IPL, I think we all will be happy,” added Ponting.
After buying Indian players Iyer, left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, and experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal at the auction, Ponting said they have “met their goals”.
“The thing with the auction is that you just have to be flexible and move with the way the auction goes. We had some targets coming in and hit those three targets so far.”
Sanjiv Goenka Explains LSG’s Decision to Secure Pant
Delhi used their Right to Match (RTM) card to retain the flashy wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for Rs 20.75 crore, but LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka offered Rs 27 crore, sealing the deal. Goenka later admitted that they “slightly” overpaid for Pant.
“This was part of our plan, he was on our list. We had kept about Rs 26-crore for him. So, 27 was slightly up but we’re happy to have him.
“He’s an outstanding player, a team-man, a match-winner. All our fans should be very, very happy to have him as a member of LSG.” Asked how they arrived at the magic figure, Goenka’s son Saswat said: “Like Ricky was saying, what happens at the auction table happens at the auction table, no matter how much you planned for it. Things don’t work out that way.
“It wasn’t really a magic number; it was just what we felt at that moment would have been the right number for us to ensure that the RTM doesn’t get exercised,” he added.
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