Shreyas Iyer was bought for a whopping fee of 26.75 Crores by Ricky Ponting and Punjab Kings. They also roped in Yuzvendra Chahal as their front-line spinner. Ricky Ponting, the head coach of the Punjab Kings, recently discussed his new position with the Indian Premier League team in an interview with The Howie Games podcast.
As he considered his plan for the 2025 IPL auction, the two-time Australian World Cup champion skipper expressed his vision for the squad. With the IPL and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy-winning captain Shreyas Iyer expected to lead the team this season, Punjab has assembled a formidable team.
The franchise is further positioned for success with the return of promising speedster Arshdeep Singh and the inclusion of seasoned Indian talent like Yuzvendra Chahal. The combination of Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal & Arshdeep Singh can be lethal for Punjab Kings.
Ponting Speaking About His Strategy To Rope In Shreyas Iyer and Yuzi.
Promising that the season will indeed see a big change, Ponting said as quoted by a PBKS press release, “It’s going to be really different this year with the way that we are perceived, the way we present ourselves, the way that we train, the way that we play, and the way that we are led. Everything is going to be different from the previous years.”
In addition, Ponting disclosed that his goal was to get the best mix of Indian talent, which informed his choice to sign Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep, and Chahal.
“There were three players that I wanted to bring in. One who has been at Punjab Kings for three or four years Arshdeep Singh. I also wanted to bring in a captain who I have worked with before and who has had a lot of success. So, we went after Shreyas Iyer. I also wanted to bring in Yuzi. So the Indian guys that we have are perfect,” he said.
“And then, we had to make a few tweaks as the auction went on to make sure we ended up with a really good squad. I am trying to make things different and rebuild and have the right people around me. But these three were non-negotiables,” the former Aussie international added.
Decision To Retain Uncapped Players.
The management’s decision to keep uncapped Indian youngsters Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh shows how much they still believe in and support the country’s young players.
“It’s not so much about the overseas guys. The overseas guys create a lot of hype, and they go for a lot of money or whatever. But as far as I am concerned, I needed to bring the right Indian players back into the tent,” Ponting said.
Ponting also delved deeper into his large fandom among the Indian population and explained the reasons behind the same. “When you’re in India, on most flights or when you check into a hotel, there are so many people around trying to have a picture or they wish to grab your bag to drop into your room. But it’s part and parcel of an Australian cricketer’s life when you visit India,” he said as the PBKS press release added.
“You appreciate it more when you understand how much it means to them. There are people of all different ages. I think doing commentary gigs in India has allowed a lot of that, as I have spent a lot of time in the country now. I have also been able to work with a lot of players who have talked reasonably highly about me in the media. I think people have learned a lot more about me since my playing days,” Ponting signed off.
Ricky Ponting backs Shreyas Iyer as a captain as he won IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders and a lot of domestic tournaments as well.