The popular Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen very few captains who have been able to make their impact across multiple franchises. One such name is Shreyas Iyer, whose calm and sharp cricketing mind has seen a change in the respective teams’ fortunes. With a captaincy win percentage of 58.53%, the second-best among top IPL skippers, Shreyas Iyer’s success rate in a competition like the IPL is commendable.
Shreyas Iyer led the team to their second IPL final, where they fell short by six runs. PBKS had 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.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting has explained the qualities of captain Shreyas Iyer that make him such a consistent skipper and why the franchise did not hesitate to break the bank for the Mumbai cricketer Shreyas Iyer, who has now set a new captaincy record in the Indian Premier League (IPL) .
Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) drought for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title continues as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat them in the final of the 2025 edition.However, this was a historic campaign for the Kings as they qualified for the playoffs after 11 long years.Shreyas Iyer led the team to their second IPL final, where they fell short by six runs.
The 2025 season season is the 18th season for the Punjab Kings franchise. They are one of the ten teams competing in the 2025 Indian Premier League. They finished at 9th position last season. Ahead of the season, Shreyas Iyer was announced as the new captain. Punjab Kings qualified for the playoffs for the third time after they secured 8 victories in 12 matches only to reach the finals for the second time since IPL 2014.
Shreyas Iyer the biggest buy at Auction by Punjab Kings
Ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Ricky Ponting replaces Trevor Bayliss as head coach, and James Hopes takes over from Charl Langeveldt as fast bowling coach. Sanjay Bangar, who was the Director of Cricket Development, is no longer part of the coaching staff
Punjab Kings entered the IPL 2025 Mega Auction with a purse of INR 110.5 crore , setting the highest-ever purse in IPL history for any team. During the auction, the record for the most expensive player in IPL history was broken twice. Shreyas Iyer was sold to Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crore, surpassing the previous record held by Mitchell Starc at INR 24.75 crore. This record was then surpassed by Rishabh Pant, who was sold to the Lucknow Super Giants at ₹27 crore
Having to rebuild most of their squad from scratch, Punjab Kings made the most of their money and managed to rope in some big names. The side kicked off the proceedings by using the RTM card of Arshdeep Singh and roping in Shreyas Iyer for a whopping INR 26.75 crore. PBKS also packed their squad with a number of Indian and overseas all-rounders, getting the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera and Harpreet Brar
The signings kept coming when they splashed 18 crore for Yuzvendra Chahal and then snapped up the Aussie duo of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, adding to a burgeoning squad which also consists of Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Yash Thakur.
Shreyas Iyer’s stable leadership has been of vital importance to Punjab’s resurgence with a revamped squad since the Mega Auction held in November 2024. The 30-year-old Shreyas Iyer was Punjab’s top picks after having started the team-building process on the back of only two uncapped retentions in Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh.
Shreyas Iyer’s stocks soared as high as Rs 26.75 crore, the second-highest IPL auction bid ever, as Punjab’s relentless pursuit finally bore fruit. It took newly appointed head coach Ricky Ponting’s relentless commitment to snap up Shreyas Iyer that made the association and the qualification to the final for the first time since 2014 possible for the Kings.
Journey to the finals under inspirational leadership and Youngsters shining
The Punjab Kings’ success in the IPL 2025, reaching the final, is attributed to a balanced squad, strong captaincy by Shreyas Iyer, a coach like Ricky Ponting, and a shift towards investing in youth. A clear team strategy, focusing on coachable players and a positive team environment, also played a crucial role
16 March 2025. Nearly a month before the start of the Indian Premier League 2025, specialist finisher Shashank Singh said on a podcast that Punjab Kings would finish in the top two of the points table this season. Shubhankar Mishra, the seasoned journalist hosting the show, let out an audible laugh – unable to believe what Shashank had just predicted.
Undeterred, Shashank doubled down. Punjab, he insisted, had built a fresh squad under the tutelage of Ricky Ponting and would definitely race to the top two in 2025. Mishra, still sceptical, warned Shashank that if Punjab didn’t even qualify for the playoffs, he’d clip the interview and troll him.
Just over two months and ten days later, here we are – with Punjab Kings sitting top of the table after 13 matches, poised to finish in the top two for the first time since 2014. Perennial underachievers, the Punjab Kings last qualified for the IPL playoffs in 2014. Under George Bailey’s leadership, they were an exciting outfit, with the likes of Virender Sehwag and Glenn Maxwell lighting up the scoring charts. But after losing the 2014 final to KKR, Punjab slipped into a prolonged slump – cycling through coaches and captains with alarming frequency.
By the end of 2024, Punjab had become synonymous with instability and a lack of faith in their homegrown talent. But something changed. India Today spoke to two of Punjab Kings’ coaches to understand what sparked this transformation.
Brad Haddin (assistant coach) and James Hopes (bowling coach) shed light on the processes set in motion even before the auction – processes that gave this team an identity and helped them defy expectations to reach the playoffs. They also revealed how the onboarding of Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting completely changed the culture of the franchise. Below are the factors which led to the success of PBKS in IPL 2025
Fresh Start at the Auction
Since the introduction of the Impact Player rule in the IPL, the focus has shifted towards deploying specialists – pure batters or bowlers – over traditional all-rounders. The rule diminished the value of multi-dimensional players (except the elite few), as specialists could now be subbed in and out of the XI.
Punjab Kings had the biggest budget in the mega auction of 2024. With Rs 112 crore at their disposal, it was important for them to build a squad that would be free of the past baggage, a squad that could start fresh. In a period where the role of all-rounders is diminishing due to the Impact Player rule, Punjab Kings went against the grain and flooded their squad with all-rounders – nine, to be exact.
Out of those, three were used consistently throughout the tournament: Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and Azmatullah Omarzai, the highest among all the teams in IPL 2025. According to James Hopes, the logic was simple: all-rounders gave the team a second chance if things went pear-shaped early in a game.
While the all-rounders gave Punjab flexibility, they weren’t the only reason behind the team’s new identity. The core of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, and Arshdeep Singh has been instrumental in getting them to 17 points from 13 games. They would have 4 points more, if not for the washed-out game against KKR at Eden Gardens, or the abandoned match vs Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala – where they were well ahead before the matches were called off.
In their quest for the title, PBKS had a stellar start, defeating Gujarat Titans in their opening match. They eventually topped the points table with 19 points, having won nine of their 14 games (NR: 1). They had a Net Run Rate of +0.372. Though RCB overcame sorry PBKS in Qualifier 1, the Kings reached the final after chasing down 204 against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. Shreyas Iyer’s team failed to accomplish the 190-run target in the summit clash.
The Impact of Shreyas Iyer changed the fortunes of PBKS
The most remarkable thing about Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) run to the IPL 2025 final was that they did so with hardly any international experience in their batting. Shreyas Iyer was the only capped Indian batter they had and even he is out of favour in two of the three international formats right now. Josh Inglis, who can perhaps consider himself an Australia regular now, played only 11 out of 17 matches. Glenn Maxwell played seven. Marcus Stoinis batted too low.
Skipper Iyer led from the front as he finished the tournament with 604 runs at 50.33, having clobbered 6 fifties (SR: 175.07). He tallied 39 maximums, the most by a captain in a single edition. His strike rate is the third-best among batters with 600-plus runs in a season. The star batter also became just the second Indian batter after Rishabh Pant to clock a 50-plus average and 170-plus strike rate in a season (Minimum: 600 runs).
A large credit for Punjab’s success has to go to the people that decided Shreyas Iyer should be the person to take the team forward. The onboarding of Shreyas had a big impact on the team’s top order, both in terms of style and attitude.
In T20 cricket, teams that start strong with the bat often hold the upper hand. Over the past few seasons, Punjab’s template with either KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan at the top was increasingly outdated. The top order would look to hold the innings together, push for a score around 200–220, and hope the bowlers could defend it.
At the start of the 2025 season, new head coach Ricky Ponting was quite clear about how Punjab wanted to “shed the baggage of failure” and were ready to play bold, exciting cricket. Words like that read well on paper – but are difficult to live up to. Just ask SRH, who crumbled this year on more balanced tracks despite similar promises.
But in their very first match of IPL 2025, Punjab showed they weren’t bluffing. Young Priyansh Arya smashed 7 boundaries and 2 sixes in a 23-ball blitz. Captain Shreyas Iyer hit a boundary off his first ball and went on to score an unbeaten 97. He could’ve easily chased a century, but chose instead to let Shashank Singh face the final over, believing that the lower order specialist was better suited to finish the job.
Shreyas Iyer had endured a difficult 18 months before this season. After a brilliant ODI World Cup 2023, he was left out of the BCCI central contracts – reportedly for not toeing the management’s line.
He went back to domestic cricket, scored heavily, led Mumbai to trophies, and earned a national recall. In January 2025, he got a break due to an injury to Virat Kohli. He grabbed it with both hands, cemented his place, and starred in India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign. The confidence from lifting an ICC trophy brought back his full range of strokes. After 13 games in IPL 2025, Iyer had scored 488 runs at a strike rate of 172.43 – his most impactful season ever.
The reliable top order in Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya
As per ESPNcricinfo, Priyansh Arya ended his maiden IPL season with 475 runs, at an astronomical strike rate of 179.24 (100: 1, 50s: 2). His opening partner Prabhsimran Singh was also sensational, hammering 549 runs this year. His strike rate read 160.52 as the tally includes four fifties. Shaun Marsh (616 in 2008) is the only uncapped batter with more runs for PBKS in an IPL edition.
The uncapped opening duo added 532 runs, the fourth-most for any pair this season. Their partnership run rate read 9.55 as the tally includes a fifty and a century stand. No other uncapped pair has added 500-plus runs in a single season. It wasn’t just Shreyas Iyer who elevated Punjab’s game this season. The energy and clarity he and Ricky Ponting brought rubbed off on others too – especially the batters. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, two uncapped Indian talents, had a major impact at the top of the order.
Of the two, Prabhsimran is arguably the more curious case. At Punjab since 2019, he’s long been seen as a batter brimming with promise – known for the odd explosive knock, usually in the 30s or 40s, and occasionally something bigger. But this season, that promise has finally translated into consistency. With 486 runs at a strike rate above 170, including four fifties in 13 matches, Prabhsimran has given Punjab exactly what they had hoped to get from one of their big-budget buys. Instead, it’s been their homegrown player delivering match after match.
That same approach has worked wonders for Nehal Wadhera, too. Discarded by Mumbai Indians, Wadhera has thrived in Punjab’s system. More than just runs, he’s found his voice in the team.The message from team leadership has been simple: don’t keep your thoughts internal. Speak up, back your ideas, and go execute.
Don’t get this wrong, but despite all the success of Ponting and the coaching staff, Punjab Kings haven’t had a flawless season. Big-name players have failed – none more so than Glenn Maxwell. Once the captain of this franchise, Maxwell was backed consistently in the lineup, yet from seven games, he returned just 48 runs and four wickets.
But here’s the difference: the team didn’t crumble under the weight of a superstar’s failure. They were insulated by a strong support system – by clarity in roles and belief in a squad filled with coachable, grounded players. Players willing to listen. Players willing to grow. Names like Azmatullah Omarzai and Priyansh Arya might be young and fearless, but they’ve also been receptive – eager to absorb the wisdom of those around them.
Josh Inglis made a mark despite missing the first few games, slamming 278 runs at a strike rate of 162.57. Shashank Singh aced the finisher’s role, hammering 350 runs at a strike rate of 153.50. Uncapped Nehal Wadhera was PBKS’s key in the middle overs as he finished with 369 runs (SR: 145.84).
Though Marcus Stoinis did not receive many opportunities, he made 160 runs while striking at 186.04. Arshdeep Singh was instrumental in taking PBKS to the final as he ended the season with 21 wickets (ER: 8.88). Yuzvendra Chahal and Marco Jansen clocked 16 wickets apiece as both bowlers had economy rates over 9.1. Harpreet Brar was the only other PBKS bowler to touch the 10-wicket mark, recording exactly 10 scalps (ER: 8.63).
In years past, Punjab often felt like a team of mismatched parts – chopped, changed, reshuffled. But in 2025, the pieces finally clicked. Not because they were all big names, but because they fit. Because they listened. Because they believed.
Missed on the trophy in 2025 but Punjab Kings under Shreyas Iyer has certainly cracked the code.
In 2025, Punjab Kings have done what once seemed impossible: they’ve cracked the IPL code. Not with big names or flashy signings – but through cohesion, clarity, and culture. Their turning point When Shreyas Iyer gave up a personal milestone – a maiden IPL hundred – to let Shashank Singh finish the job. That moment wasn’t just selfless. It was symbolic. It said everything about this team’s DNA.
Belief has been their superpower. In a season where others blinked, Punjab held their nerve – none more so than when they defended 111 against KKR. That grit, that trust in one another, has been their biggest win. Then after losing tamely to RCB in Qualifier 1 in front of home crowd at Mullanpur in Qualifier 1 came back stronger as the skipper Shreyas Iyer with an inspirational batting versus 5 times Champion Mumbai Indians gave a war cry of inspiration to the team as a statement applied to any team
“We may have lost the battle but not the war “ would now be the iconic statement as it was carved in the minds of millionss by one courageous leader Shreyas Iyer who single handedly guided his team to the IPL finals 2025. A general who just dont give up , A batter who love taking challenges on his heart and perform like a man possesed was the definition of Shreyas Iyer on Sunday evening with only one mission in head . first to make PBKS reach the IPL finals and then on 3rd put his hands on the ultimate glory.
Shreyas Iyer’s eyes told the story. Not when he was casually dispatching the best bowlers in the world during his blistering 41-ball 87 not out against the serial winners Mumbai Indians in the make-or-break IPL Qualifier 2, as Punjab Kings chased to become the first team to score 200-plus against a Jasprit Bumrah-led attack. No, the real story was in those now-iconic words he spoke after a crushing 8-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1.
At the time, it felt a touch over-the-top – almost too bullish – coming off a performance where his side had overcooked their aggression on a spicy pitch in Mullanpur, folding for a mere 101, the second-lowest total ever in an IPL playoff. Many wondered if Punjab Kings had simply run out of steam at the worst possible moment, after punching above their weight and exceeding all expectations by reaching the playoffs in the first place.
This isn’t the old Punjab any more. This is a team with a spine, with swagger, and with something to prove. And if they do go all the way in IPL 2026 – if they lift that trophy – Shashank Singh won’t need to say a word. That clip will speak for itself.
Also Read: RCB vs PBKS: I Am Very Proud Of Every Individual Shreyas Iyer Backs Players Despite Losing Final