Ricky Ponting lauded Shreyas Iyer after his match-winning 72 off 41 balls against the Chennai Super Kings took Punjab Kings to second in the points table. Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with Shreyas Iyer‘s evolution as a captain, saying that he is responding to pressure better after having led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title last season.
PBKS have a new captain in Shreyas Iyer, who won the IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders last year, and a new head coach in Ricky Ponting, who worked with Delhi Capitals until last season. This year, the reliable Shreyas Iyer will lead the team as captain. He has previously captained teams like the Delhi Capitals and the defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shreyas Iyer powers PBKS to an easy win over CSK with a stellar innings
Shreyas Iyer was named Player of the Match for his brilliant 72 off 41 balls, featuring five fours and four sixes. His knock helped PBKS chase down a target of 191 with four balls to spare. Although Matheesha Pathirana eventually dismissed him, Shreyas Iyer had already taken his team to the brink of victory, with just three runs needed from eight balls.
That maturity shone through when he matched his premier spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, up with MS Dhoni – who continues to struggle against this variety of bowling – despite the presence of spin-hitter Shivam Dube at the other end. After having Dhoni hole out for 11 off four balls, Chahal went onto bag a hat-trick in that 19th over of CSK’s innings to spin the game PBKS’ way.
Last season, Shreyas Iyer played a key role in helping Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinch the IPL title. However, the defending champions released him ahead of the mega auction. Punjab Kings then made a bold move, spending a staggering Rs 26.75 crore to secure his services — a decision that has paid off so far.
Shreyas Iyer receives special praise from coach Ricky Ponting
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has praised skipper Shreyas Iyer for his match-winning knock against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL match here on Wednesday. Punjab picked up a crucial win over CSK with skipper Shreyas Iyer leading the 191-run chase. After electing to bowl, CSK rode on Sam Curran’s 47-ball 88 to post a mammoth total of 190 on a slow, turning track.
Shreyas Iyer then played a captain’s knock, scoring 72 runs in 41 balls to set up the win for his side. Aided by opener Prabhsimran Singh, who also scored 54 runs, Punjab finished off the chase with two balls to spare to win the match by four wickets. Ricky Ponting noted that, given the high standards Iyer holds himself to, he would likely be disappointed not to have seen the chase through to the very end.
“I actually think he’s taken his game to a new level. He’s a more mature player now. I think he understands the game and game situations probably better than ever before. I think that was showcased there tonight, to be able to play the way that he did. He’ll be disappointed with himself that he didn’t hit the winning runs. He didn’t get his team across the line,” Ponting said in the post-match press conference.
“Because I know how much he prides himself on being the man that’s there at the end to win games. But look, I love working with him. He talked to all the players. All the players love working with him. The way he communicates with them, whether it’s during the game or at practice or back at the team hotel. We’ve managed to create a really good environment that everybody seems to be really happy in,” Ponting said.
Head coach Ricky Ponting remarked that Iyer has grown more mature and now shows greater confidence in his on-field decisions.
“He’s a lot more confident in himself now than he was. And that comes with experience. I mean, he won the IPL last year as a captain. So when you’ve done that and you’ve got that experience behind you and you believe and trust in your own instincts, I think that’s the biggest thing with captaincy, especially in a T20 game when everything around you is happening so fast.
“Fours and sixes are flying everywhere. His ability to stay calm on the field. He might not have been that calm tonight when we were a couple of overs late getting through the overs.
“But just his maturity, I think, and that experience. And he knows he’s got a good group around him as well. He knows he’s got a lot of senior players around him that he can talk to if he needs to. But I think anytime he makes a decision now, he sticks with it and trusts it. And that’s a great thing for a captain,” Ponting added.
With the win against CSK, PBKS moved to second in the table with 13 points and a net run rate of +0.199 thanks to wins in six out of 10 matches. Their next match is against the Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, May 4 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala
Also Read: CSK vs PBKS: Shreyas Iyer- The Silent Captain Stealing The Show Against CSK